Sunday, August 16, 2009

Catching Up

  1. Templar, AZ, Book 3: And a Stick to Beat the Devil With by Spike. As I think I mentioned when I read Book 1, I discovered Templar, AZ at this years Stumptown Comics Fest. I liked it, and was pleased to discover that the shop where I get my comics stocks the collections of this web-comic. However, it looks like Book 2 costs $18, and I wasn't quite willing to pay that much for it. So I read that one online. Book 3, on the other hand, was only $12, so I shelled out for it, and now I'm definitely hooked. I'm staying up to date online, and the next time I'm feeling rich, I'll be picking up Book 2.
  2. Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, vol. 4 by Tove & Lars Jansson. The latest (final?) volume of Jansson's sweet, gently humorous strip about the characters from her children's books.
  3. The Boys, vol. 1: The Name of the Game by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson. Over the top and exceedingly violent. But I quite liked it anyway. (Checked out of the library.)
  4. Usagi Yojimbo, vol. 23: Bridge of Tears by Stan Sakai. As excellent as always.
  5. Scorpion: Poison Tomorrow by Fred van Lente & Leonard Kirk.
  6. Captain Britain and MI13, vol. 2: Hell Comes to Britain by Paul Cornell & Leonard Kirk. The praise I've been reading online for this comic is well deserved. (Library.)
  7. The Brave and the Bold, vol. 3: Demons & Dragons by Mark Waid, Scott Kolins, et al. Super-hero team-ups. (Library.)
  8. Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, et al. Gaiman's Batman-related stories.
  9. The Weasel Patrol by Ken Macklin & Lela Dowling. Silly stuff.
  10. Hulk: WWH - Damage Control by Dwayne McDuffie, Salva Espin et al. (Library.)
  11. Mouse Guard, vol. 2: Winter 1152 by David Peterson. I liked the first volume well enough, but it didn't really grab me. This volume did. Looking forward to the next book.
  12. Beanworld, book 2: A Gift Comes! by Larry Marder. Collecting the rest of the previously published Beanworld stories. I can't wait for book 3 and new material.
  13. Ignorance, Thy Name is Bucky by Darby Conley. The latest "Get Fuzzy" collection.
  14. Star Wars Vector, vol. 2 by John Ostrander, Jan Duursema, et al. Star Wars cross-over comics. But I really do like Ostrander's writing.
  15. Spider-Man: Family Ties by various. (Library.)
  16. Pluto, vol. 4 by Naoki Urasawa. I continue to be blown away by the emotional depth in this manga series. Wonderful stuff. And it's a retelling of an "Astro Boy" story.
  17. Dan Dare Omnibus by Garth Ennis & Gary Erskine. Revamp of the old British comics character. (Library.)
  18. Madame Xanadu, vol. 1: Disenchanted by Matt Wagner & Amy Reeder. Very good. I don't know what else to say.
  19. Frankenstein's Womb by Warren Ellis & Marek Oleksicki. Comic about Mary Shelley, her creation, and the birth of modernity.
  20. Elk's Run by Joshua Hale Fialkov & Noel Tuazon. Coming-of-age story set in what may be the worst-thought-out (by the characters, not the writer) Utopia I've ever encountered.
  21. Tales of the Batman by Tim Sale, et al. I know DC put this out because Sale does (did? I've stopped watching) the comic artwork in Heroes, but I'll take it because there is some gorgeous artwork here. And the stories aren't bad, either. (Library.)
  22. The Boys, vol. 2: Get Some by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson. More deconstruction of super-heroes. (Library.)


Only a couple of movies in the past two weeks:
  • RiffTrax: Carnival of Souls. There's about 10 minutes worth of story in this 82 minute movie. The rest is padding. OMG, this movie moves slowly. The jokes make endurable, just.
  • Ponyo. Very sweet. Not as much substance as Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, but still gorgeous and touching. I wouldn't expect anything less from Miyazaki.

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