First Books of 2011

Here we go:

1. Rocketo, vol. 1: Journey to the Hidden Sea by Frank Espinosa.
   
   Adventure & pulp-influenced derring-do. (I had listed this on my A-Z list, but that was incorrect. The list is for books that I read for the first time this year. It's just that when I read it before, it was from the library. I enjoyed it enough that I wanted to own it.)
   
2. Rocketo, vol. 2: The Journey to the Hidden Sea by Frank Espinosa. Beautiful, stylized art.
   
3. Chew Omnivore Edition, vol. 1 by John Layman & Rob Guillory. This series is growing on me. I still don't quite get why so many people rave about it online, but I am enjoying it more. (Checked out of the library.)
   
4. Invincible Iron Man, vol. 5: Stark Resilient, bk. 1 by Matt Fraction & Salvador Larroca. (Library.)
   
5. The Guild by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg. Backstory for the web series about a group of MMORPG players. Very funny.
   
6. Star Wars Vector, vol. 2 by various. This contains Star Wars Legacy, vol. 6.
   
7. Castle Waiting, vol. 2 by Linda Medley.
   
   Wonderful, low-key fantasy series. I am saddened and frustrated that Medley seems to have abandoned it. The story is nowhere near done, but there hasn't been a new issue in ages, and her website has disappeared. Her Wikipedia page says she's working on a series of graphic novels based on the Oz books. I'm hoping they come soon and she returns to Castle Waiting (although I am afraid the series may not be financially viable for her). A bit of oddness about this book: Medley's name only appears in the copyright notice and on a sticker on the back cover. (Borrowed from Teena.)
   
8. Secret Warriors, vol. 4: Last Ride of the Howling Commandos by Jonathan Hickman & Alessandro Vitti. (Library.)
   
9. Black Widow and the Marvel Girls by Paul Tobin, et al. All-ages friendly comics.
   
10. Spider-Man and the Secret Wars by Paul Tobin & Patrick Sherberger. More all-ages stuff. I really enjoy Tobin's work. This volume also reprints the first issue of the original Secret Wars comic. Man, Jim Shooter wrote some ham-fisted exposition. It's terrible.
    
11. Haunted Mansion by various. Anthology of stories set in Disney's Haunted Mansion.
    
12. Ubu Bubu, vol. 1: Filth by Jamie Smart. Comic about a cute kitty possessed by a demon and the hi-jinx they get up to.
    
13. Two-Step by Warren Ellis & Amanda Connor. Fun science fiction set in a near-future London. "He's a Zen gangster. She's a bored camgirl. They don't fight crime."

Movies can wait until next time.