Amy Reads the Week (of September 30, 2007)

And it’s here, Gentle Reader, finally! The end of September, and thus the precipice of Fall. October, the Reads’s favorite month of the year. Sweaters, hot tea, leaves changing color and falling—perhaps too much, as our Recent Forays into the Garden can attest! But We Reads have cleaned out our rock garden, have pruned back some of our plants, collected garden salsa peppers, and sweet peppers, and watched the sad demise of our tomatoes and basil. But Fall, yes, Fall is coming to the South.

And with it, of course, Fall Lineup. I’ve already pointed to the wealth of great new shows which are, thus far, Worthy of a Second Watch: Journeyman, Chuck, Reaper. Add to that Life, and take away Moonlight, which This Humble Author must agree with the majority of the reviews: I liked this show Much Better when it was called Angel.

But We Reads have been watching *and* reading, and rising to the top of the Reads’s Reading List is Chelsea Cain’s Heartsick which is utterly brilliant and Quite Smart Indeed! It reminded me a lot of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, but not in an “imitation is the greatest form of flattery” sort of way. Rather, the utter helplessness of the situation, the characters, the strange oddities, all of it added together to One Fantastic Read! Ms. Cain is an author on my Watch List, as I Quite Adored Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, her Nancy Drew "exposé."

Also completed: Absolute Boyfriend #4, an odd little Manga by Yuu Watase, Wicked Dead: Lurker, a YA horror by Stefan Petrucha of the Nancy Drew graphic novels fame. Next on the docket: Dexter in the Dark, the latest Dexter novel by Jeff Lindsay, Exit Strategy, the contemporary thriller by Kelley Armstrong. Coming soon from a pre-order near We Reads: White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion, the graphic novel by Tamora Pierce and Tim Liebe, Winds of Marble Arch, the short story collection by Our Beloved Connie Willis, 20^th Century Ghosts, the short story collection by Joe Hill.

But the Most Important Consequence of this past week has been My Return To Comics. Yes, it’s true, Friends: This Humble Author read several comics this weekend, and has lived to Tell The Tale! Because I am So Behind, I offer you Reviews in Brief, as many of these comics will be Old News for my Constant Readers, I’m sure.

Batman #666-#668 - I am Ever The Fan of locked-room mysteries, and this one is No Exception. I adore the idea of Batmen from Around the World, banding together to solve a classic noir plotline. So Sayers, so Christie, so Poe, so Carr. And, of course, bonus Batman. I have yet to pick up #669, but I will, forthwith.

The Flash #232 - I am So Very Happy to have my favorite comic book family back, Friends! The Park-Wests were strong as spouses; as a family of parents and children, they are unstoppable.

New Avengers #34 - I love the pairing of Doctor Strange and The Night Nurse, who is one of This Humble Author’s favorite minor characters, Marvel or otherwise! Further, I love how this team is coming together in ways the other Avengers did not. As Mr. Reads and I watched the animated film on Doctor Strange this weekend—and it was surprisingly well done, Gentle Reader!—it has been a bit of a Stephen Strange weekend overall.

Teen Titans #50 - I Must Confess, Gentle Reader, to loving Mr. McKeever on Teen Titans. He brings a certain joy and light to the title that, paradoxically, revels in its darker moments. Well done, sir! I have not yet picked up #51, and I am curious to see where it takes us.

Walking Dead vol. 2 and 3 - Yes, I know, these are graphic novels, but I recently picked up this series and am enjoying it immensely.

Y the Last Man #58 - My heart is broken, Friends. That’s about all I can say.

Eagerly awaiting: Astonishing X-Men, Runaways, and Gail Simone’s run on Wonder Woman, which is Just Around the Corner!

More reviews soon, Friends, as I continue to catch up on my comics reading! Until then, please let me know how your Fall Lineup is faring.