The Time Traveler's Wife

This is one of the most frustrating titles I have ever picked up.  For that reason alone I love it  there is so much material that can mined from this book & discussed or used for inspiration in other works.  This is one of the more high concept books I have picked up recently it still sits firmly within the theme of books I have been reading lately.  I understand why a great many people are frustrated by this title; its hard to follow, to much detail in some spots & not enough in others.  I like that because it adds a level of ambiguity to the story, kind of like this was all a dream.  I know there is a movie out there but I have a feeling that there is no way it could do this story justice.  I found myself questioning a lot of ideas & events that happened in this book.  One of the main reasons I picked this up is the fact that it takes place in either South Haven, Michigan or Chicago, Illinois, both places that I am overly familiar with. I love that the two main characters are work in literary & visual arts.  But most of all I love that this is a story of hope surrounded by tragedy.  A tragedy that is inevitable from the beginning just as is the concept of a predetermined fate that can not be changed.  There is some vivid imagery in this book that is just amazing like when Henry goes to the future & sees his ten year old daughter before she is even born.  This book has more twist & turns than the movie Inception.  It is also a series of rolling waves when it comes to consistency; one minute it can be very detailed while the next it can be very vague.  That didn't bother me all that much because I was more engrossed in the subject matter & the themes that they were attempting to convey.  This is definitely a title that I will be returning to over & over again simply for inspiration.

Deathstroke Vol. 1: Legacy

This was a surprisingly good title for a villainous character.  It read a lot like a Punisher book from Marvel.  I really like the father needing to be bested by his son plot as the driving factor behind everything.  Kyle Higgins writing is a breath of fresh air since I haven't read anything by him in the past.  I kind of feel that this would have worked out really well as a miniseries instead of an ongoing, I know it has been cancelled but if it was still an ongoing I would be surprised.  

Detective Comics Vol. 1: Faces of Death

Over the years several different writers have brought a darker tone to the Batman titles.  Tony S. Daniel is a tremendous artist but his writing has always been just OK.   Maybe it is the fact that he is now having to write a younger version of Bruce Wayne as Batman but just feels off in some way.  I have to say I liked his writing more in the Pre-New 52 Universe when he was writing Dick Grayson as Batman.  His voice & writing style definitely is more of a fit for Dick than Bruce.  I think the opening tale with the Dollmaker was a good start to this volume however I don't feel that it felt resolved which in a Batman story that is OK as long as Tony S. Daniel is able to clear up the plot threads before he leaves the title.  But I liked the Penguin story a lot more simply because of the legend villain status Penguin has compared to Dollmaker.  This isn't really a must buy or a must read even for Batman fans but like any Batman story even the mediocre ones are still pretty good. 
 

Captain Atom Vol. 1: Evolution

I thought this was a breath of fresh air for the DC Universe.  Captain Atom is essentially Dr. Manhattan but with a conscience.  I really like the art for this series, I thought the second half of this book started to drag though but the opening couple of issues were a moving in the right direction.  I wish Marvel had a character that was this scientifically based, this title shows the one of the true differences between characters of the big two. 

Supergirl Vol. 1: Last Daughter of Krypton

I was just getting used to the old DC Universe continuity of Post-Crisis & then DC decided to reboot everything again for a new generation with Flashpoint.  I imagine there was a similar resentment towards the company back in the 80s when Crisis on Infinite Earths happened.  However I was just starting to like the Superman family of titles near the tail end of that continuity The whole World of New Krypton, Last Stand of New Krypton & War of the Supermen is one of my favorite Superman trilogy stories of the few that I have read.  I loved the torn characterization of Supergirl in that event because she had most recently come back from the dead a few years before & was still adjusting to being back in the world.  She was a blend of heroic awkward naivety which was a breath of fresh air.  Along comes the New 52 & wipes all that away or so I thought, this new Supergirl is just as awkward as the old one.  Really its the same character just tweaked a little she has a new costume but at her core she is still coming to terms with her situation.  If your a Supergirl fan or a Superman fan give this a shot I'm still on the fence about the costume change but I like the direction the title is heading. 

Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Guts

It took me awhile to return to this character but I finally made room for it in my reading schedule.  The volume was a quicker read than the previous one & I am really beginning to like where everything is leading.  Wonder Woman & company head to hell, again the re-imagined gods of the Greek Myths are a real selling point for this title.  Azzarello's writing is only improving with each issue.  The cliffhanger at the end of this volume make the previous one seem like a drop in the center of pond instead of glass of water. 

Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood

For someone that is unfamiliar with Wonder Woman beyond that fact that she is an amazon & has magic bracelets.  This is one of the titles of the DC's New 52 that it is a perfect jumping on point.  This title reads a lot like a Greek myth set in modern times, similar to Fables; mixed with just a few God of War story elements.  The re-imagined gods look & work well within this artistic style & Brian Azzarello’s writing is the best its been since 100 Bullets.  The cliff hanger at the end is a really a nice set up for next volume.

Batgirl Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection

For me Barbara Gordon is always going to be Batgirl, mostly due to Batman the Animated Series.  But I also have a soft spot for the other characters Cassandra Cain & Stephanie Brown that have taken up the mantel over the years.  One of the biggest differences between Marvel & DC is that DC is all about legacy where several prominent heroes have passed on their mantels to younger characters to continue their alter egos role in the shared universe.  I am of the generation where Barbara Gordon is known mostly as Oracle.  The story that changed the character for an entire generation was Alan Moore's amazing story The Killing Joke which came out in the late 80's when I was a mere child.  So everything I have read of the pre-New 52 DC Universe depicts her as Oracle a wheel chair bound heroine.  This was an ok read for someone who has some idea of Barbara's previous history.  My biggest problem with this new series is not that it has put Barbara back under the cowl, but that it cut Bryan Q, Miller's fabulous run on the heroine to an untimely end which I am a huge fan of.  The first story in this volume is kind of weak in terms of getting me excited about the character it was the second story in this volume that I felt was a true return to form for the character.  It reminded me of Chuck Dixon's Batgirl: Year One which is an essential read for anyone who wants to know the pre-New 52 origin of the character.  One the selling points for this series & really a selling point for returning Barbara Gordon to the Batgirl persona is fact that DC gave the series to Gail Simone.  Gail Simone is know primarily for writing Barbara as Oracle so if there was any other writer that could possibly due this re-introduction justice it would be Chuck Dixon.  If DC had handed project to another writer it might not have gone over as well or still be going as strong as it is today.  I look forward to reading more because I love all the characters of the Bat-Family & Batgirl has a unique legacy within that family that is trumped only by Robin.  

Big Fish

I have come to realize that the last couple of fiction titles I have picked up have had the same underlying theme.  That theme is of course death or the concept of loss for an individual.  First off I did not like this book but I did like the metaphorical story telling process it used though out the story.  I like the concept of a son preparing to deal with the passing of his father.  I fully agree with the back cover of the book that this is very much in the style of Mark Twain but overall this book while making me feel nostalgic at the same time it left me feeling hollow.  I look forward to sitting down & watching the movie.  Hopefully I will have more an appreciation for the book through that much like I did with The Great Gatsby & A Princess of Mars.

Batman The Dark Knight Vol. 1: Knight Terrors

Out of all the DC characters Batman is my all-time favorite to read its pretty much every collected story I have picked up has been gold, even the mediocre ones.  That's not to say I haven't picked up some sub-par stories because I have but they are few & far between.  This is one of the many Bat-Titles included in the New 52.  This volume reads like an episode of Batman the Animated Series. From the get go it is fairly predictable as to who the villain is but it is the way that it is played out that makes it intriguing.  There are parts of the story the don't seem to work within the context where Batman's actions seem some what out of character but they are small in comparison to the overall book.  Batman along with Green Lantern are two of the only if not the few characters unaffected by the New 52.  This title is no exception it requires some brief knowledge of the Dark Knight's history.  This volume does introduce a new character in the White Rabbit, she herself seems an odd fit for the Dark Knight's rogues gallery.  The second last story in this volume is the reintroduction of the Mad-Hatter & it is one of the creepiest tales I have read involving him. There is also a story in this volume that ties into the Night of the Owls story arc by Scott Snyder.

Aquaman Vol. 1: The Trench

I am a big fan of Geoff Johns Green Lantern run it is sad to see that that that has come to an end, but now at least I will be able to catch up on it.  I liked Aquaman as a black lantern in the Blackest Night story so when I heard Johns was working on a new Aquaman book I put this on my short list of books to read in the near future.  This first volume did not disappoint it put all the Aquaman jokes right out in the open.  It showcased him as a superhero that is trying to find his place in the world knowing full well that the world thinks he is a joke among the superhero community.  Even though his secret identity is public knowledge Aquaman still tries to find solitude & anonymity living in a lighthouse on coast of the Atlantic Ocean.  The first arc in this volume is The Trench it brings creatures from the depths of the ocean that would make anybody hesitate going into the the water again.  These creatures are reminiscent of the monster in Peter Benchley's White Shark which make them equally terrifying since they can walk on land.  The second arc works as a nice set up to the next volume of this title.  I know that Johns is off the book soon which I think sucks because he redefined Green Lantern for a generation of readers I wished he would have been able to do that for Aquaman as well hopefully whoever DC has chosen to take on the title will due just as much justice to the character as Geoff Johns work has done so far.    

Earth 2 Vol. 1: The Gathering

I just finished reading this reinvention of the heroes of the golden age from DC Comics New 52 initiative.  I have to say I really enjoyed parts of this title but I also have some complaints.  The elimination DC's trinity in the first couple of pages was a nice touch but it also felt a little rushed.  One of my ongoing problems with reading anything in the New 52 is that I have all this prior knowledge of the characters & concepts of the DC universe for the last twenty years.  Since I didn't have a lot of prior knowledge about these particular characters in the DC universe so this was a pretty good book that didn't clash with my prior knowledge except for the revamp of Solomon Grundy as the main villain in this opening arc.  I really liked James Robinson's writing with the New Krypton story arc.  But his writing on this title seems to be sub-par; the art is definitely on point though.  My second major gripe with this title is the change that DC made to Green Lantern it seems like a slap in the face of the character especially since he is a legacy character.  The first half of this title read as a bunch of origin stories.  While the second half of the title is a big first ever team up to defeat the villain.  I am interested to see where the storyline with Mr. Terrific is going and there where several other nods to other Justice Society characters like Sandman & Red Tornado.  This volume also shows how Huntress & Power Girl escaped Earth 2 even if it was accidentally. 

How to Talk to a Widower

I finally sat down & read this title, over the years I had skimmed through this book several times.  I love a lot of the dialog in this book & it has quite a few scenario descriptions.  The main character in this title loses his wife after only a year of marriage.  The story shows him go through several stages of grief but it starts a year after the event.  Like the book Perfect Family I love how the author characterizes the person who has died and makes them an equally important essential to the story being told.  The underlying theme of this title is hope for a brighter future, a silver lining for tomorrow.  Another great thing I like about this title are the smaller narratives woven within the larger story.  One of my favorites is when Doug is still spending his days drinking & declaring war on the rabbits of his yard.  I own a copy of this title & definitely plan on looking for more work by this author.  

 

Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits

The second volume of Hawkeye doesn't disapoint.  The art does more in this volume to sell the stories than the previous volume proving how essential have a great artist is to the comics medium.  There are three main stories woven together in this volume.  However I feel that the final issue which is the awesome Pizza Dog issue is a bit confusing so I didn't find the closure of the final story arc in this volume as I expected to.  Don't get me wrong the Pizza Dog issue is a masterpiece of graphic storytelling that is so refreshing & original that it makes me so proud to see attention given to artistic story telling of this caliber.  Another favorite issue for me in this collection is the Valentines Day issue which focuses on all of the girls in Clint's life & how he has fracked up his life so much over the years.  It seems that Clint Barton is now the new poster boy for hopeless loser of the Marvel Universe. 

Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon

This first volume was awesome, the simplistic art reminds me of 100 Bullets.  Clint Barton is such an great character.  Flawed in almost every way & Murphy’s Law being the overall connecting element of this new series you just want to read it to find out how he’s going to get out of his newest problem.  If your not digging the art Matt Fraction’s writing is in top form for this series.

Water for Elephants

This is one awesome awe inspiring tale set against the Great Depression era.  I absolutely loved the transitions between the present & the main character's recollections of the past.  This was perfect time to read such a tale because I was able to relate to the situation the main character is in by having a grandfather in an assisted living facility.  I also have a soft spot for animal stories.  This story is part reflection, part hope for things to come & part coming of the age of understanding.  I look forward to rereading this some day.  For every character that is just plain nasty in this tale there are at least three redeeming ones proving that there really are good people out in the world.  If I had picked this up a couple of years ago I may not have been as intrigued by this title as I was.  

Up Close and Dangerous

I finished this title a couple days ago.  This was an easy read but this is the basic definition if there ever was one of a chick flick novel.  I can't say I hated this but it definitely wasn't good.  The dialog was some of the cheesiest I had ever read, it wasn't as bad as The Inheritance Cycle or The Hunger Games trilogy but its still pretty bad.  I am going to try an avoid this genre of titles in the future.    

Perfect Family

When I picked up this book I thought this might be interesting.  But once I started it I was kind of frustrated for the first couple of chapters I didn't like any of the characters except for Pony.  For the brief time she is in the book she steals the show with her characterization.  I have to say that by chapter twenty this book really took off, I found myself frustrated anytime I had to put this down to go to work or school.  One of the great things I love about this book is the way it approaches the loss of the youngest sibling by the rest of the family.  That along with the unearthing of this affluent families dirty secrets make this story an absolute joy.  The dialog is stilted at times but for the most part is quite good.  By the end of the book I liked all of the characters in the family compared to the beginning where all of them are just nasty & unappealing.  Still my favorite character is Pony due to her lasting effect on the characters & the reader.  My second favorite would be Olivia due to the revelations about her past.  William would be my third favorite for how is character grew & changed over the course of the narrative.  I became so engrossed in the story that I was thinking about it all the time I almost got in a car accident thinking about this story.  About halfway through if you have been following it does get pretty predictable.  But even through the main events are predictable its the little details that I look forward to.  I have to say this is one that I am definitely going to be buying for my collection.   

Impact

I can't believe I read this,  This book has it's moments but the thing is those moments don't work within the same narrative.  This story reads like something that came right out of The Twilight Zone.  Its part science fiction, part mystery thriller, part espionage all coming together as one messed up narrative.  The ending is so messed up & ludicrous that but it somehow works with a story that jumps genres logic in every chapter.   The ending is reminds me of the story The Star by Arthur C. Clarke & with vague nods to Krypton from Superman's mythology.  I'm glad I finished this book however at the same time I wish I had never picked it up. 

The Coffee Trader

I was walking through the library one day when I saw this book sitting on the shelf.  This was kind of an impulse read something for the morning commute.  I must say that I was surprised not by the overall story but by the twisted events of described by one of the characters who is revealed to be the puppet master of the events told throughout the book.  The story revolves around Jews moving to Amsterdam and the emergence of the international trading markets in the 17th century similar to that of modern day Wall Street.  The story takes several twist and turns but the end is what really sold me on this title.  The reveal of Miguel Lienzo's true scheme leads to even bigger reveals that show just how untrustworthy a great many people really are.  But it also shows how innocent some of their intentions can be while hurting others through their schemes.  There are some plot threads that are left hanging even after the back cover is closed.  Overall this is a title that stacks up to older text like Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.  I highly recommend simply for the climax alone.

Aphrodite IX

This is a title that has been on my books to read list for close to a decade ever since I saw a copy of it sitting on the shelf at Borders.  By looking at the cover you can tell this is a throwback to the 90's with the blatant objectification of women through the art.  This is a story that is very similar to that of Philip K. Dick novels.  Aphrodite IX is a nice little gem of a story I mean who doesn't like a gorgeous woman with green hair.  Unfortunately it falls short because the end of the book feels like the middle of a larger story.  But this isn't a bad thing since Image Comics is now publishing a new volume of stories which will continue the story from the loose ends left from this volume. 

Ivanhoe

This is one of my favorite classic stories, since I was a child & saw the Wishbone adaptation of this classic tale.  I have previously read abridged versions of this tale but now I have finally read the full tale from cover to cover.  This is the one of the great medieval stories it is a tale that I would recommend for anyone who is interested in Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones, or any stories about Robin Hood or King Arthur.  One of the things I love about this story is how compact it is but there is a depth created by connecting it to the history of the crusades, the tale of Robin Hood.  This depth gives the reader a sense that they have been transported to another place if not just another time.  The character of Wilfred of Ivanhoe is one of the classic archetypes to come out of medieval literature.  You can see its everlasting influence in everything from movies like Knights Tale & Monty Python & the Holy Grail to other literary characters like Eddard Stark & Aragorn.  One of the things that really struck me this time while I was reading was the theme of antisemitism that flowed throughout each of the acts of the book leading to the rescue in the finale.  For a book that was written in the early 19th century it is still surprisingly relevant to the world today adding another reason to pick this up & give it a shot.  

The Massive Vol. 1: Black Pacific

The first volume of The Massive is a lot like the first vol. of The Walking Dead for me.  It is fresh & new that I couldn't put it down.  If you like movies like Day after Tomorrow or 2012 then this title is definitely up your ally.  A group of pacifist have formed an environmentalist group that patrols the seas in a post apocalyptic world.  One of the things I really love about this series aside from the art is the rich back story that Brian Wood has begun to develop for each of his characters in this series.  This is really the first book I have read by Wood & if the rest of his work is this good he may just give Brian K. Vaughan a run for his money.

Return of the Bunny Suicides

Its amazing what you find on your roommates coffee table in the morning.  I didn't think there could be a sequel to the The Book of Bunny Suicides, but I was wrong & here it is.   This book is much of the same just as shocking & just as witty as the first its definitely worth a glance especially if you picked up the first volume.  I really like the Doctor Who & the Dr. Strange Love references in this second collection of the absurdly depressed white rabbit.

The Book of Bunny Suicides

All right 1^st things 1^st I am not depressed; I saw this book on the shelf as I was walking through the library.  But this book is depressing & morbid in its own unusual way.  The title says all you need to know about this book.  The format of this book is set up in a sort of sketchbook style that reminds me of Farside & my brother’s moleskine sketchbooks.  My family used to raise rabbits for show & market so I found this somewhat funny & inventive.  The drawings in this book are done in a simple contour line style with minimal shading.  I would have to say that the Star Wars suicide was quite hilarious.  This is the type of book that you would see while browsing but would never buy.

Irresistible

This is the first Zenescope title I've read & I have to say I not impressed.  This story is a pretty straight forward watch what you wish for type of plot.  At first its kind of cool the main character is breaking the forth wall & talking to you, but then it gets repetitive up until the end of the third issue.  The finale of this miniseries is depressing to say the least it felt so pointless to read.  I've heard good things about the publishers fairy tale stories so I'll give them another shot but this title didn't make the cut.  

Age of Ultron

I just finished reading the Age of Ultron event from Marvel comics.  I understand why a lot of people were upset with this event the format of its plotting & presentation is confusing at times but I think it will make more sense when read in the as a collection instead of single issues.  The event as a whole is not all that spectacular & given the fact that it was finished early and shelved for future use shows in how some thinks where changed before it went to press.  The real pay off with this is that it sets up a lot of interesting plot devices & stories down the road.  As with most marvel events now I'm really not excited by the events but instead by the potential game changes they bring the the Marvel tapestry.  All of that being said I really love the pay off at the end of this book the middle is convoluted as hell & a little confusing & the begging you have to muscle through but by the end its well worth the ride.  The sad realization of this event is that you come away thinking this is the last Ultron story ever because his fate is so finalized in the end that it is hard to believe that he could ever come back from it.  But this is the nature of comics since the early 90s its an exploration in the death & resurrection of heroes & in some cases villains.  If Marvel is as smart as I hope they are they'll pull Ultron off the table for awhile & won't bring him back to the page until the new Avengers movie is about to hit theaters.  I also like the twist with the multiple Wolverines & I am interested to see how this comes back to reek havoc on his life.  One of my favorite parts in this event was in the second Avengers Assemble tie-in issue which started off with a Doctor Who joke about Daleks.  I wish there had been more of that type of humor throughout the series.  I hope this format & presentation does not become the norm for future events if this had been presented differently I think it would have had a warmer reception from its target audience.  

Kick-Ass 2

This book took the concept that Mark Millar first introduced in back in Kick-Ass Vol. 1 & cranked it up.  Everything was edgier I even found myself cringing at times.  There is no way a lot of this material will make it into the upcoming movie due to some recent events.  For as awesome as Jim Carry looks dressed up as Colonel Stars & Stripes in the new movie he really doesn't get a lot of screen time in the book.  His fate is something that is straight out of the Song of Ice & Fire series; I can only speculate that Millar was inspired by the third book in that series.  I hope he gets more screen time in the movie than he did on the page.  Another big moment which shocked me to the point of almost putting the book down is that blatant & graphic display of gun violence against children especially since the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings that occurred near the beginning of the year.  Granted this book was published before that but it is still disturbing.  That scene then snowballed into the rape of Katie Deauxma in the book which was shocking but less so compared to the massacre of  small children.  Pile on the atrocities to give Red Mist his hat trick by killing Dave's dad & Mark Millar has created the sickest adolescent villain since King Joffrey.  I will be truly shocked & will probably even walk out of the theater if kiddie massacre is included, but the rape could be eluded to & have even more of an impact story-wise since Katie & Dave are actually dating in the movie.  Overall where the previous book showed that this series had a heart & soul this volume decided to rip it out & stomp on it.  I am really glad to know that the next volume Kick-Ass 3 will be the final volume other-wise the main character would eighty-six himself due to how depressed he is becoming.  If you think about it how has something like Kick-Ass survived if not thrived in a time where violence involving children has been in the news on a frequent basis.  Its not just Kick-Ass what about books like the Hunger Games series both of which have gotten the Hollywood treatment.  There is even a Marvel comic focusing on the subject by pitting teen heroes against each other in a fight to the death called Avengers Arena.  There are also other movies coming out soon that are touching on this same subject of violence involving children & even young adults Fruitvale Station & I Declare War.  The first of which is based on or inspired by an actual event where as the second looks to be more of a social commentary.  So it begs to question is this the new norm?

Hit-Girl

This is the second volume in Mark Millar's magnum opus known as the Kick-Ass series.  Even though this title was published after Kick-Ass 2 it takes place in between Kick-Ass 1 & 2.  This is essentially a Hit-Girl story shows how she gets to the position she is in at the beginning of the third volume.  Overall I liked this book it gave some depth to the character's it shows that Kick-Ass's real ability comes in being able to keep Hit-Girl grounded which is kind of cool; in doing this the author has found a way to make him a peer of Hit-Girls instead of pathetic wannabe like the first volume made him out to be.  In a way they have made Kick-Ass into a character similar to Alfred.  Can you imagine what Batman would be like if there was no Alfred.  He would be a mess the same can be said about Hit-Girl.  The best part of this series is when Mindy is taking out the hit-men in her own home & goes over to the neighbors to get a sledgehammer that is just hilarious.  There are some really good Easter eggs in here for comics fans that just make you smile when see & read them on the page.  There is even some character development with Red Mist but it feels unfinished.  It seems that all the little Red Mist segments are just thrown in so the reader doesn't forget that he exist.  The real redeeming moment for this series happens on the final pages of this series where Mindy realizes that her family should come before war on crime this helps to show that this series has a heart underneath the violence & gore that Millar has become known for.  

 

Kick-Ass

I finished re-reading Kick-Ass the other day & I must say it was much better than I thought given my first encounter with the title.  The first time I read this was shortly after I saw the movie & I thought that this was one of the few cases where the movie out shines the book.  I still feel that way but now that I have re-examined this title & I realize that this is an amazing book all on it's own.  Just think of all of new ideas for comics that have come since this book was released we now have a title called The Bounce & Deathmatch these are titles that most likely would not exist if Kick-Ass hadn't paved the way.  Also there is now a whole sub culture of people dressing up in super-hero costumes & going on patrol in major cities around the world.  This might have been going on even before Kick-Ass but it started making headlines in national news media following this title.  This is a simple story about a high school kid who starts dressing up like a super-hero to but quickly discovers what a bad idea it is.  There are some major differences between the book & the film I still feel that the film is superior.  The main reason I like the film more is due to the fact that Dave gets Katie where as in the book she crushes him mentally & physically.  There several other differences but I view them as minor compared to that of Dave & Katie.  I also think that this title has grown on me due to the fact that I have become even more desensitized to this type of graphic violence over the years in movies, books & television.  Its a shame in someways because that is something that I don't believe an individual can ever regain.  Now that Mark Millar is working on Kick-Ass 3 & the second movie is coming out in August I advise people to check out this title & see what inspired the film.  I truly think this is going to be the creator owned work he is remembered for.  It has also set the tone for what people can expect from his work uber violence, gore & snappy dialog.  

Superman: Red Son

At first glance this is just a simple straight forward concept that moves at a rather generic pace.  But what really sold me on this book were the second & third acts.  The ending is such a nice twist on the Superman mythos that it is amazing that is was never thought of before.  When I started this book I was seriously thinking of dropping while I was reading the first act but it really picks up by the time the second one starts.  What is really nice about this book is that it reads as a summary of Superman’s entire existence.  It focuses on the major turning points of his life & skips over all of the non-essentials.  The final confrontation between Luthor & Superman is a stroke of calculated genius.  For anybody who is a fan of post-World War II history; this would be an enjoyable read & an excellent way to get them interested in the world of comics.  I can easily say this is the second best comic that Mark Millar has ever written for one of the big two the first being Marvels Civil War.  If your only interest in reading stuff that is canon to the DC Universe then this may not be a title for you, but if you want a good self-contained story then check this out.

DC Comics So Many Origins

I am puzzled by the number of origin stories that DC comics as collected for certain characters.  I just want to focus on the Modern DC Universe for a moment.  Batman has only one collected origin story for the twenty five plus years that this iteration of the DC Universe existed & that story is Batman: Year One by Frank Miller.  It is such an iconic story to this day it is still the go to starting point for Batman fans.  Superman on the other hand has had several origin stories within the same time frame.  He has three in canon origin stories Superman: Man of Steel Vol. 1 by John Byrne, Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid & Superman: Secret Origin by Geoff Johns.  That is not even counting the stand alone non-canonical origin stories of the character like Superman: Red Son where he is raised in Soviet Russia or Superman: True Brit where he is raised in Great Britain.  There is also Superman: Secret Identity which is about if Clark Kent was a teenager in the real world reading comics about Superman. It seems that DC is never satisfied with Superman's origin & they keep finding creators that willing to tweak it every now & then, but Batman's origin is perfect.  Other characters in the DC Universe have had other heroes who have had multiple origins throughout the modern era due to Crisis on Infinite Earths.   Characters like Green Lantern had multiple origins with titles like Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn & Green Lantern: Secret Origin.  While others only had one like Green Arrow: Year One or Wonder Woman: Gods & Mortals.  DC Comics is slowly establishing a new universe with there Earth One titles.  Currently they only have three but a fourth one is on the way all of them telling fresh re-imaginings of DC's greatest heroes Superman: Earth One Vol. 1 & 2, Batman: Earth One & the forthcoming Wonder Woman: Earth One.  Now DC Comics has rebooted with the New 52 which will probably last twenty five to thirty years like the modern era did when Crisis on Infinite Earths reshaped the DC Universe.  They let Grant Morrison reshape Superman's origin in the first three volumes of Action Comics.  Brian Azzarello of 100 Hundred Bullets fame made Wonder Woman cool for a new generation.  Currently Scott Snyder of American Vampire fame is crafting the New 52 origin of Batman with the Year Zero story arc.  Several other characters have had their origins revamped or still in the process of needing a new origin but if there was ever a better time to jump into DC Comics that time is now.   

Justice League Vol. 1: Origin

This is the premier book of DC's New 52 when it launched a little less than two years ago.  I was just starting to branch out into what I consider the Modern DC Universe, the one that has been around since I can remember.  It started with the epic event Crisis on Infinite Earths.  The trigger for the New 52 however is the Flashpoint event which isn't all the spectacular from what I have heard but over time will achieve probably the same type of standing as Crisis on Infinite Earths due to its long lasting effects on the DC Universe.  Enough of that on to this first volume of Justice League.  The book takes place five years in the past & shows how the team first formed.  Everybody acts arrogant which I think is a by product of reducing the age of all the characters in the DC Universe.  I mean Superman having a more violent streak than I've seen in the past depictions of him, Batman showing Green Lantern his secret identity seem out of character but work in the context of all of these heroes in their youth.  It seemed that Batman & Flash wear the only characters who spoke with the voice of reason throughout this entire arc as though they had more experience than any of the other characters in the story.  Wonder Woman is channeling her inner Thor as if she saw that movie when it came out.  Aquaman appears & is made fun of by Green Lantern from the get go but in just about two panels he proves how much of a bad-ass he can be.  Even if he didn't have his own book Aquaman this would be the premier book for him along with Cyborg.  Cyborg has a true origin in this volume.  Since I was not familiar with in in the Modern Universe other than the fact that he was a member of the Teen Titans; it was nice to see real jumping on point for this character.  The antagonist Darkseid is just a panel stealing villain in every way its like Apocalypse was mixed with Thanos for Marvel.  This was a good start hopefully the characters will have matured somewhat in the second volume.

Point of Impact

This is an amazing little miniseries in the crime noir genre.  The artwork is crisp detailed, Korey Kuranel is one of the best noir artist I've seen since Frank Miller.  I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of his work in the future.  This is also the first story I have read from Jay Faerber & I want more.  This story was well paced & exciting on every page.  If you love crime, mysteries or noir then read this you won't be sorry.

 

Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol. 2

Thank you Mr. Humphries, this volume kicked it up a notch.  This volume started out with a death but it was able to keep the hilarity that makes this concept work.  Enter Michonne, I mean Brendan that was just awesome.  Then you throw in a Robert Kirkman look-a-like have Kyle seemingly break the fourth wall & you have a solid second volume that solidifies itself as a new brand of zombie apocalypse.  I have to say that I like were the series is going now.

Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol. 1

This was an OK type of book if your looking for just looney over the top culture references then this is the book for you.  The art for this book fits the story quite well, this is the first thing I have written by Sam Humphries.  I do love all of the pop culture comic references the whole narration of the first page is just awesome.  The CBR booth over looking the con floor & the Pokemon blades are hilarious.  My favorite scene in this volume is when the Wrecking Crew was getting checked off by Burger with cultural nicknames. Overall I'm intrigued but I not really impressed.  I'll keep reading but Mr. Humphries better up the anti in the next volume. 

Moonraker

I finally just finished this I know its been awhile; overall I didn’t find this outing of James Bond as enjoyable as the previous title.  That being said I do think that Moonraker has a plot that is worthy of the darker tone that the Bond franchise has taken with Daniel Craig in the staring role.  The villain Hugo Drax is similar to that of Silva in Skyfall by instigating a terrorist attack on England for its participation in WWII against the Nazi’s is a highly relevant plot due to the events of the last decade.  Again if the movie had stuck more to the source material there is no denying that this would have been an instant classic.  There is a level of tension felt in this book unlike the previous title where the reader along with Bond has mixed feelings about Hugo Drax in one chapter you admire this character & in the next you loath him; this cycle repeats throughout most of the book.  The ending is somewhat anti-climactic considering the great build up throughout the book. 

Live & Let Die

Compared to the previous novel Live & Let Die is a fraking riot.  This is an awesome book in reading this book the biggest surprise is how much this source materiel has been mined for multiple Bond films.  I came across at least three different scenes in this book that have appeared in different movies.  Part of me wishes that the Live & Let Die movie was this good but another part of me is glad the material has been mined for multiple movies.  I am really looking forward to the next volume in the series.

Casino Royale

I just finished reading Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale.  This is nice introduction to the James Bond character.  In comparison to the movie with Daniel Craig everything is pretty much the same except for what I would consider three major differences.  The first of which is that Le Chiffre is working for the Russians since this is set in the cold war era & that the game they are playing is high-stakes baccarat instead of Texas Hold’m Poker.  The second of which is that the organization S.M.E.R.S.H. is behind Le Chiffre’s death instead of Mr. White & the Quantum organization.  The third difference is the death of Vesper Lynd is less redeeming & it makes her betrayal to Bond less of conflicting & just part of the job.   

Spider-Man: Spider-Island / Spider-Man: Spider-Island Companion

I have thoroughly enjoyed pretty much every Spider-Man book I have picked up since Happy Birthday by J. Michael Straczynski.  For a while I was reading several trades a day just to catch up.  Spider-Island felt a lot like World War Hulks & World of New Krypton; more in the vein of World of New Krypton than World War Hulks.  It’s the type of storyline that makes the hero feel obsolete in the face of adversity.  The hero has to resort to his secret identity to do what no one else is able to do.  Spider-Man doesn’t shine in this as much as Peter Parker does.  The companion is also quite good you have a Spider-Girl story that’s OK but the Cloak & Dagger story is excellent although it leaves you wanting more this would have been a great jumping on point for an ongoing series or mini-series at least about these to second stringers .  The Shang-Chi story was great frankly I had never heard of him until this series came out glad to see he’s getting a push in Hickman’s Avengers run.  One of my favorite parts in this story is spider powered M.J. because it cements her understanding of how important Spider-Man is to New York.  Even the moments of Parker swinging with his current girl Carly Cooper were awesome but it was when he shared the frame with M.J. that shows me that Slott’s got something in store for these two, he always focuses on the little things with long scaffolding story arcs & I look forward to what comes next.  This was a great story that brought b rated & even c rated characters to the forefront while giving depth to the main characters.

The Losers Book 2

The second volume of The Losers starts off with a flashback story arc about how they got screwed.  This volume also took the plot which was really grounded in the first volume & cranked up times ten.  The climax to this series is so satisfying on par with the ending of Wanted & 100 Bullets.  Even though the story gets kind of convoluted in this volume it still feels right within the context overall story.  This book also brings about so many twist that keeps you reading.  Overall this series was awesome & way better than the movie; if your a fan of the movie you'll love the first volume.  The second volume really made me a fan of this series and I wish there was more but at the same time I love the finality of the climax because it is such a fitting & satisfying ending. 

The Losers Book 1

I have always been a fan of Andy Diggle & Jock's collaboration since I read Green Arrow: Year One.  This however I feel is not their best effort.  I didn't start to feel this series until about the forth issue of the series that kicked it into high gear & it has kept the pedal to floor ever since.  Book 1 collects the 1st 12 issues of this series.  Jock's art is awesome most of the time there are a few panels scattered throughout that feel off, proportionally.  Jock also isn't the only artist on this series but he is in charge of layouts & covers his covers are way better than his interior art & look spectacular.  I picked this series up cause I have had it on my to read list since I saw the movie however 90% of the movie can be summed up in this book alone which is kind of sad.  The main premise of this series is that its a little like A-Team meets Rainbow Six meets Mission Impossible.  A black ops. team left for dead goes up against a crooked C.I.A. handler Max, who has more power & influence than J. Edgar Hoover.  By the end of the end of book 1 you see just how powerful he is without actually seeing him.  

Science Dog Vol. 1

I picked this up because it had Robert Kirkman’s name on it; The Walking Dead anybody.  Unlike Bryan K. Vaughan not everything Kirkman writes is gold with the exception of The Walking Dead.  This story reads like a missing chapter of a larger story & for that there is no real payoff to this story.  The main character is actually kind of cool & his origin is explained early on is the story but everything he does is for selfish reasons that don’t really seem fleshed out enough.  If you like a good time travel tale that is simple & straight forward then you’ll like this, but don’t expect much depth or character development.  I found out after the fact that this is spin-off of Kirkman’s Invincible series, maybe this will make more sense if I read that series as well.