Books, Books, Books

239. The Complete Peanuts: 1955 to 1956 by Charles M. Schulz. I'm glad somebody is publishing a definitive Peanuts collection; I just wish the books were a bit less expensive. If I had a bit more disposable income, I would be getting this series. As it is, I picked this one up because it was on sale. Schulz was a master.
     
240. Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace, vol. 1: 1951-1952. Unlike the Peanuts volumes, this series is one I would only buy if it were marked down quite a bit.
     
241. Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace, vol. 2: 1953-1954. I will say that Ketcham was a better artist than Schulz. There's some spectacular drawing on display in these books.
     
242. Usagi Yojimbo, vol. 13: Grey Shadows by Stan Sakai.
     
243. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Man, I thought Harry was angsty & whiny in the last book. At least the pissy mood only really lasts until he gets to Hogwarts. I really like this volume. It's the longest book in the series (at least so far), but it doesn't feel as bloated as Goblet of Fire did. Prof. Umbridge is a great villain. And I love the developments with Fred & George.
     
244. Spider-Man Visionaries: Roger Stern, vol. 1 by Roger Stern, et al. These stories are from pretty early in Stern's writing career, and aren't the best, but they are entertaining.
     
245. Monster, vol. 7: Richard by Naoki Urasawa. (Checked out of the library.)
     
246. Bucky O'Hare & the Toad Menace by Larry Hama & Michael Golden. Some nice art from Golden, but otherwise, eh. (Library.)
     
247. Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace, vol. 3: 1955-1956. I really lucked out in spotting the sale Amazon was having when I bought these books. (Of course, if they hadn't been having a sale, I wouldn't have bought them.
     
248. Fables, vol. 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Mike Allred, et al. One of the things that I like about this series is that it feels like Willingham has a plan for these characters & knows where the story is going. So often in serialized stories it's clear that the creators are making it up as they go along, and it's always refreshing to find a creator who plans ahead.
     
249. Otherworld, Book One by Phil Jimenez. At first, this seemed like an extremely cliched story about good magic vs. evil technology, but it proved less simplistic than I first thought. (Library.)
     
250. Hikaru no Go, vol. 6: The Insei Exam by Yumi Hotta & Takeshi Obata. As this series progresses, the supernatural aspect (the ghost stuck in the main character's head) becomes less & less prominent, and the series becomes more & more about the main character's progress in playing Go.
     
251. 28 Days Later: The Aftermath by Steve Niles, et al. This provides a bridge between the first movie & the sequel. (Library.)
     
252. Usagi Yojimbo, vol. 14: Demon Mask by Stan Sakai.