Comics in (Very!) Brief

No, not an actual post, Gentle Reader, but a few comments.

1) Why o why did Mr. Reads not make me read Ultra sooner? Egad, it is Fantastic!

2) I adore, absolutely adore Avengers: The Initiative. It feels as if it is the natural Avengers bookend to Academy X. Young Avengers, my All-Time Favorite teen Avengers highlight, feels as something Completely Different. And why yes, I am collections behind, but I plan to catch up Rather Shortly!

3) No, I have not read Wonder Woman yet. No, I have not gotten to My Local to pick up my now Very Large Backlog of Comics. I think this makes me a Very Bad Wonder Woman Fan AND a Very Bad Gail Simone Fan Indeed. It is tragic, Friends, the amount of work under which I labour. Very little fun reading At All gets accomplished in the Reads Household. Tragic, tragic, tragic.

4) I find myself oddly giddy about the new Star Trek movie, more so about the Wonder Woman animated, and even more so yet about Watchmen. Oh yes, Watchmen.

Amy Reads the Week (of September 14th, 2008)

Tired, Gentle Reader, very tired, after watching Hurricane Ike with a wary eye all Friday and Saturday. Mr. Reads and I alternated sleep Friday evening and Saturday morning so we could keep an ear out for the potential tornadoes that threatened to touch down in our neck of the woods. Saturday mid-morning, we kept an eye on the trees in the backyard during those 50-75 mph wind gusts, as they threatened to drop branches on top of our electrical line. But we were Quite Lucky in our neck of the woods, and as long-time former residents of Southern Louisiana (and This Humble Author a New Orleans Native), we are saddened and empathetic for the those suffering under the devastation that has hit the Texas Gulf Coast.

Now today, safe here but saddened for My Fellow Gulf Coast Citizens, I find myself tired here, on Sunday, and thus have declared it a true Day Of Rest. That is, I am reading and watching television for the rest of the day. Any planning for school will resume tomorrow morning.

But a brief (!) run-through of the recent Pop Culture in the Reads Household should suffice, no? Unfortunately, it is a Very Brief List Indeed, as I have been Quite Busy with school and preparing to go back on the job market.

1) Fringe - definitely possibility, Friends! I am Rather Impressed with the language, which borders on Whedonesque at times.

2) Wizard World Texas - some great names have appeared on the roll call, but where is Gail Simone, Greg Rucka, or Grant Morrison? Truly, Mr. Reads and I must move closer to San Diego and thus Comic Con.

3) Tamara Siler Jones - Mr. Reads picked up the first book in her Dubric Byerly series, Ghosts in the Snow, and after some convincing, passed it on to me. I cannot help but be charmed and impressed. I have started her second book and am enjoying it immensely.

4) Comics - bah, Gentle Reader. Bah. I am So Far Behind in the Comic Book World that I fear I can never unearth myself. The latest issue of Ms. Simone's Wonder Woman (for which the buzz is Outstanding!) sits, sad and alone, at My Local, unpurchased and unread. Secret Six has finally arrived, and that sits alone, too. Not to mention the Unread Options: Buffy, Secret Invasion, Final Crisis, the list goes on and on. Partly it is due to the impact of Gustav (the Reads Family descended for a week) and Ike (our entire town shut down in preparation of the storm). But mainly, it is due to work, work, work.

5) Project Runway - as it is still Ongoing, I cannot read anything coming out of Fashion Week. This, of course, makes me Very Grumpy.

Comics Backlog #3: Green Lantern: Rebirth

For those Gentle Readers who are, specifically, Shelly, Ragnell, Kalinara, and Sally, I have Delved Deep into The Color Green: This Humble Author has read a Green Lantern Collection.

It is true, Friends. I have.

While I have No Special Love for the Green Lanterns, I have No Special Dislike of them, either. Rather, the GLs are a part of my Comics History into which I have never delved very deeply. What I do know of the GLs comes in referential form: in Supergirl, in JLA or JSA, in the cartoon JLU. As such, I am not really a fan of Hal Jordan or Guy Gardner. That is, of the Earth Green Lanterns, I am most interested in Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Alan Scott.

But, and here is the "but," Gentle Reader, I like the idea of a Green Lantern Corps. I want to know the Lanterns from other sectors, examine the alternative GLs. I adore Mogo, for example, and find the idea of a planet Green Lantern to be just about one of the Most Fascinating Plot Elements Ever. Because of this, Mr. Reads is about to put in my hands the Sinestro War, so that I may examine the history of the Rings Of Different Hues.

Here is what I did like about Green Lantern: Rebirth: the explanation of the yellow weakness, Kyle, Green Arrow's constant understanding and strength, Sinestro's arrogance, Kyle, the struggle between Fear and Willpower, Kyle, how the DC Universe joined together to save Hal, and Kyle.

Here is what I did not like about Green Lantern: Rebirth: I get Very, Very Grumpy when someone makes my Batman become a Bad Guy. And while Batman is not a Bad Guy per se, the art depicts him as villainous, creepy, and wrong.

While I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the stories around the major GLs. I am not, nor will I ever be, I think, a fan of Hal Jordan. But I could certainly enjoy stories that center on Kyle. I adored the fact that Kyle was the only GL safe from Parallax because Kyle is the only Lantern to Know Fear. Further, Kyle's artistic nature and how it becomes prominent in his use of the ring is Very Interesting Indeed.

Not a fan yet, Friends, but definitely more interested than before.

Slowly but Surely, Gentle Reader, I am plodding through the Immense Comics Backlog. I am almost caught up on Daredevil (almost a year behind!) and Teen Titans (only a few months behind), but I am still several issues behind on everything else. But next week my class begins the Comic Book I will be teaching, and that is enough to look forward to, no?

Comics Backlog #2: Final Crisis

Gentle Reader, in the immortal words of Kitty Pryde,
yeahbuwha?

Also, I adore, absolutely adore Manhunters, both of the Human and Martian varieties, and I dislike the idea of losing either of them.

And a few highlights:

- Alpha Lanterns - I will be swayed by Green Lanterns' Light yet, it seems!
- Batman and his eternal dossiers
- Yes, Vandal Savage, we've all waited 50,000 years. Please, hurry on with it.
- Um, Libra?
- Um, early Man?

And do not forget the 52, Gentle Reader!

I believe that is enough Comics Backlog for one evening, although Mr. Reads has just placed Secret Invasion #1 and #2 on my desk and slyly walked away. We Shall See, then, no?

Comics Backlog #1: Batman and Manhunter

Gentle Reader, Kate Spencer is back! Or, as Bones says, our favorite red-leather wearing single mom is back, and with a vengeance. I like this return issue, particularly in its femicide plotline. Manhunter is a comic that pays particular and, I Dare To Say, almost unique attention to the problems of women. That is, Manhunter becomes a superhero for women in the same way that, Back In The Day, Selina Kyle/Catwoman did the same. In this issue, we see Kate returning to superhero-ing with a vengeance, and that vengeance is all about the protection of the innocent.

As for Grant Morrison's Batman, much has been made of the lead-in to the Death of Batman, that is, Batman RIP, and I must say that it is making much ado about everything. Joker, Talia, Damien, Alfred, Jezebel Jet!

Er, that is, Jezebel Jet?!

Methinks she is Evil, Friends. What say you?

I do like the odd surrealism that occurs in the past few issues, and making the reader as confused as Batman Himself is is just a matter of Good Writing. But then, what else have we come to expect of Mr. Morrison?

Brief reviews only, Gentle Reader, as I make my slow and (rather) plodding way through my Very Large Backlog of Comics. I will save longer reviews for particular runs, like Wonder Woman and Astonishing X-Men. Until then, Friends, I return to the comics trenches.

A Blog Scolding; or, Dr. Reads Discovers the Sheer Amount of Comics Backlog

Gentle Reader, I must scold you! Why o why have you not told me how Very Far Behind I am in Comics? Certainly, I was aware that The Dissertation was distracting me from my Pop Culture, but really? Four issues behind in Batman? Nary a glance cast on Final Crisis? Not to mention the latest issues of Wonder Woman, Buffy, etc. etc. ad nauseam?

I did, however, read the Final Issue of Astonishing X-Men yesterday morning, and promptly cried and cried. Review coming, forthwith.

For now, along with Dissertation Edits, and Thesis Office Requirements, and Summer School Teaching, I will attempt to unearth myself from the vast amount of comic book paper piling on top of me. I begin with Batman (je t'adore, Mr. Morrison), then move to Wonder Woman and Final Crisis. Where else have I fallen behind?

Captain America is still dead, yes? Spider-Man is still ridiculously unmarried, yes?

(mental note: also must read Secret Invasion)

Postscript: notice the use of "Dr." in my name. Will I ever tire of seeing it, Friends? I dare say that I shall not!

Amy Reads the Week (of November 18th, 2007)

I have just—just, Gentle Reader!—finished preparing the Reads Turkey for the Reads Early Thanksgiving Extravaganza. That is to say, the Parents Reads have dropped by for an Early Thanksgiving before they drive to Another State to spend Thanksgiving Proper with their Young Godchild, whom they have not seen since the beginning of the year. We are having Quite the Thanksgiving Feast, as We Reads, despite blips and bleeps and Rather Annoying Rejection Letters and Health Issues and Chocolate Cravings and Comic Book Frustrations, have much to be Thankful For in 2007.

But part of the visit from Parents Reads is due to the fact that We Reads—the younger generation—cannot spare the few days of traveling to Head Home for the Holidays. Thanksgiving Break is a rather difficult time, travel-wise, for those in school or academia. Mr. Reads and I both have Many Papers to grade, and I do have That Pesky Chapter to get done. Given that school runs Up Until Wednesday, we had no time, truly, for travel.

But staying here means that We Reads also get to do things around the time spent on grading and dissertations. Reading Comics, for example, and finally—finally!—watching Lone Wolf and Cub with real attention, as My Dear Friend Mr. Fanboy loaned it to me many months ago, and This Humble Author has other delights to send to him, in addition to his kind loan of a DVD. (I do feel as if announcing it So Publicly will assure My Dear Friend that I have not forgotten him!). Mr. Reads, on the other hand, will spend the majority of his break playing Doom, Bioshock, and all the games for the Wii we have bought but have not opened. And there will be more turkey on Thanksgiving Proper, and, I dare say, many, many servings of leftovers.

But I have decided, declared, really, that Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, will be spent in the pursuit of nothing else but Turkey and Fun. Mr. Reads and I will stockpile episodes of Jericho and finish the season that day. Also, I will read some DC Elseworlds, and more New X-Men (also in anticipation of something in conjunction with My Dear Friend Mr. Fanboy!), and otherwise, spend a Fine Day on Couch Reads.

Any good plans for the upcoming American holiday, Friends?

Amy Reads the Week (of November 11th, 2007)

Apologies for the lateness of this column, Gentle Reader, as the Internet Reads was down yesterday evening.

I feel like I have spent much of my past four months apologizing for the General Hecticness of My Life, and Gentle Reader, I have owed you the Lion’s Share of those apologies. Yes, You, the Gen Pop of a Comic Book Collective of Fans. You, my Friends, who listen, willingly, patiently, intelligently, to my babblings about Television, or Comic Books, or Novels. You, my Friends, who send care packages and discs of television series (gratitude, Mr. Fanboy), comics and necklaces (gratitude, Rachel), who listen, cyber-wise, in-real-life-wise (gratitude, Friends Reads). This I am so thankful for.

And yet I persist in General Malaise, Malingering, Busy-work, any number of things that keep me from filling the days of Arrogant Self-Reliance's Constant Readers with High Prose of the Popular Culture Variety. For this, I apologize, slightly teasingly, but in most sincerity.

Slightly teasing, of course, Friends, but I am teasing myself for my persistence in the busy-ness of my life. And to prove this, I glanced recently through my ever-increasingly-tall stack of Unread Comics and bemoaned to Mr. Reads that I would never, ever catch up. I am barely afloat in DC comics, enough to understand Wally’s frustration when Bruce chastises him on Child Safety. I am so far behind in the Marvel Universe that I still don’t know why Elektra was a Skrull. As for Dark Horse, I manage to keep abreast of Buffy, but my plan to begin reading BPRD has fallen to the wayside. Add in Vertigo and Image and Wildstorm, and you have one Very Grumpy, one Very Frustrated Ms. Reads.

That is not to say that I have not been reading, or viewing, or working through other comics, or books, or television series. I have. But Thanksgiving holiday looms near, and with it, I plan to finish—yes, Friends, finally!—that pesky dissertation chapter that has haunted me for so long, and I plan to sit and read several months’ worth of comics.

Many of you have recommended new series to me (Shelly, if I recall correctly, recommends Criminal), or old favorites (Matthew ever recommends Legion), or urge new characters into the fold (Sally, Ragnell, and Kalinara and the Green Lantern Love). Mr. Reads is pushing me towards back issues of JSA, Teen Titans, and the recently-read Watchmen.

So I ask you, Gentle Reader, to help me choose the material for my Thanksgiving Reading Extravaganza. I plan to catch up on current pull lists, but I also plan to work through old issues of one of the following:

Justice Society of America
Several Elseworlds series in the backlog
Ms. Marvel
Teen Titans

If we take it to a vote, which would you recommend for my upcoming reading marathon? Reviews promised, of course!