Saturday, April 24, 2004

As you can read about in my Emerald City Comicon Report, this was the sketch that nearly wasn't. Jason wasn't doing free sketches, but Kurt Busiek said a good word and I suddenly got this sketch after all. Jason Pearson is currently best known as a cover artist, and will be doing the cover art for H-E-R-O soon, including issues 16 and 17. Until then, you can check out his sketch of Aquaman.

AQUAMAN
by Jason Pearson
29 Feb 2004
(permission to post given 29 Feb 2004 in person)
Jason Pearson's Website

As a reminder: Almost every sketch in my sketchbook was non-commissioned and done on the floor of a con. These are not the best works of the artists. These are only representative of what the artist can do under pressure in a loud, crowded, and often stressed-out environment. Most of them were done as quickly as possible, to prevent huge lines from forming. Don't judge any of these artists negatively by the artwork you see, instead be as impressed as I am by what they accomplished in far-from-ideal conditions.

To see all the sketches I have permission to post so far, check out my Sketchbook Page. If you have any contact information for any of the other artists I'm trying to contact, please e-mail me. Click for a random Aquaman sketch.

The Saturday Sketch ™ is brought to you by the letters "A", "Q" and the number "27", and also courtesy the fine artists who pour their lives into producing wonderful comic books, then come to conventions only to get asked by geeky fangirls for a sketch of Aquaman. Support an artist, buy a comic book.

by Tegan at 8:49 PM Seattle time - Permalink

American Gods by Neil Gaiman: Yi. What do I say about this one? This book affected me deeply, partly because it says something about this land that I've always seen as true. This isn't a good land for the old gods. In that respect, the book hit all the right notes for me. Add in the fact that it's a rippin' good yarn, and I have to heap some high praise on it.

There was a bit more sex than I generally enjoy in my fiction, but all of it was in context so I won't complain too much. I'm not a prude, just slightly prudish.

Despite that minor complaint, this was a really strong story that I don't want to spoil for anyone who might want to read it. Gaiman pulls away the layers slowly, but each revelation leads to something important, so I dare not give even the slightest bit away. A follow-up story is in Legends II. This one is certainly worth a read, especially if you are fond of mythology from multiple cultures. And, if you read it, pay particular attention to names. All names. There's a lot of important stuff in the names.

Dipping into the AIT/Planet Lar box again, I pulled out Electric Girl. I decided to only read the first volume, and save the other one for later.

Electric Girl Volume One by Michael Brennan: Oh, now this was fun! Indeed, I'm going to be loaning this one out, I can tell already. And Blammo is so cute! Ahem. Virginia is a perfectly normal girl... except that a nasty gremlin present at her birth gave her some electrical powers. So now she has chaos-inducing control over electricity, which suits the gremlin just fine, as his kind thrive on chaos. There isn't really any overall plotline in this trade, just lots of really fun stories involving Virginia, her dog Blammo, her Gremlin Oogleeoog, and all her family and friends who have to live with her mysterious ability. This one's a keeper.

I had planned, when I go pick up my comics for this week on Wednesday, to order the latest AIT/Planet Lar book, Planet of the Capes. But yet another package arrived from Larry today, this one containing (yes, you guessed it): Planet of the Capes. I'll be reading it soon, probably before my next random pick from the earlier box. But tonight... tonight I post a Saturday Sketch ™... so any more reviews will have to wait until tomorrow. Including my thoughts on the second episode of Iron Chef America, which airs tonight. I did update my Sketchbook just a little, so if you can't wait until I post a new sketch, check it out.

by Tegan at 6:41 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Hand a disposable camera to a stranger, with stickers asking people to take a couple of pictures then pass it on, and what do you get? You get Randompixel.

Steampunk Anime. I hope we get an English dub or subtitle.

Billmon reacts to that odd place called "outside".

by Tegan at 3:42 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Friday, April 23, 2004

Batman Adventures #13: Yah! The long arc is finally over! Huzzah! All is right with Gotham again! And the back up story is cute. A little overly cute, yes, but cute.

Astro City/Arrowsmith: I'd read the Arrowsmith story before, but the Astro City story was new, as was the long article in the middle. Since the Astro City story is a prelude to the upcoming series, I'm now looking forward to the next books. Of course, there's no set schedule yet... just "late summer or early fall". Argh! Must...be...patient...

Digital Webbing Presents #11: When Kevin Melrose first blogged about this book and his involvement in it, I knew nothing about it. I couldn't recall ever having heard of it, never mentioned it in my Flipping Through Previews posts... in short, it was a complete mystery. So I was surprised to see that it's a 32-page anthology at a low enough price point that it's worth checking out. I'm a big fan of "sampler" type books that showcase talents in a stand-alone format. So I was stunned to see that I'd completely missed it. Ok, enough self-flagellation, I'm sure you want to know what I thought of it?

Kevin was kind enough to send me the first issue that his work had appeared in so I could get an idea of what the book is like. There are a whoppin' six stories in this issue, ranging from a one-pager to ten pages.

• "Bad Elements" by Kevin Melrose (story), Peter Honrade (art), and Ed Dukeshire (letters) - 10 pages: Nicely paced tale that starts as a standard mob story, but quickly develops its own flavor. The ending is slightly predictable, but the whole angle is nicely fresh, so it works out. The artwork is almost too cutesy for the subject, but manages to give the story an almost whimsical feel at times, which helps to distract from the ending and make it less predictable. I enjoyed it a lot.
• "The Gig: Chapter III" by Glenn Jeffers (writer), John Etienne (pencilier), Travis Walton (inker), and Ed Dukeshire (letters) - 8 pages: I wasn't sure what was going on, but I actually enjoyed the ride. Yeah, it's only part of an ongoing, but it had nice art.
• "Leviathan" by Joshua Gamon (words), Nick Postic (pencils), Nick Marinkovich (inks & tones), Ed Dukeshire (letters), and edits by Jeffery Stevenson & Jim Keplinger - 5 pages: Nice and creepy. Definitely the kind of story I enjoy. Unfortunately it reads like a prologue, and there's no indication that there will be more story. So it falls a bit short.
• "Just Another Wednesday" by Ev Jameson (writer) and Justin Peterson (illustrator) - 1 page: Um. This story is juvenile, and revels in it. Not my style, but funny anyway.
• "Summer Days, Winter Nights" by Troy Wall (story), Mitchell Breitweiser (artwork) and Ed Dukeshire (letters) - 8 pages: This one plays on the expectations of comic readers used to seeing superheroic characters who find the truth and fight evil alone. Very effective, very disturbing. The artwork isn't as strong in the storytelling department as I'd like to see, but it was certainly nice looking.
• "Payback" by C.G.Kirby (writer), Enzo Pertile (illustrator), and Ed Dukshire (letters) - 6 pages: Ouch, ouch, ouch. This is the ultimate in major screw-ups screwing other people up. Man this one just worked on me, in the most irritating way possible. It was a very good story. Just annoying because it hits on a universal truth.

As a whole this book gets a solid four starfish.

Iron Chef America - Bobby Flay vs Hiroyuki Sakai - (spoiler)Battle Trout(end spoiler): If you aren't familiar with Iron Chef, some of what I'm about to write won't make much sense to you. This version is based on the original Iron Chef, but produced by Food Network. This is NOT the UPN version with William Shatner playing the Chairman, it's far, far better. Now, for some live-blogging comments I wrote while watching the first episode.

Two complaints right from the start. The first complaint is the requirement to make five dishes. That's just stupid. The original Iron Chef didn't have such a limitation, and it allowed for flexibility. Insisting on five dishes will limit the chefs unnecessarily. Second complaint is that Alton Brown, as good as he is, needs someone else to play straight man. Multiple commentators are far more interesting.

Now, lest you think I hate it, I think there are some nice touches. First off, the kitchen is fantastic. The set is a nicely updated version of kitchen stadium. The new Chairman is fun. Making him Kaga's nephew is a nice touch, allowing that one truly fictional bit to continue. His substitution of the pepper for an apple was also a good touch. For pure showmanship, this is a very nice version.

Alton's "Ota" sidekick, Kevin, isn't very good, and needs an "interruption" catchphrase. The show keeps going away from the food too much. In fact, the focus seems to be away from the food far more than in the original version, which was less focused on showmanship and more on the food. That was a huge part of the appeal... seeing close up exactly how the chefs worked with food. In this version, the camera keep cutting away to talking heads. Show the food!

During the second half, the food gets more focus, which is nicer. The artistry of the chefs is demonstrated and even focused on (note the replay of Sakai peeling an apple). Again, Kevin doesn't make a very good Ota. I like the split screen effect, being able to see how both chefs are reacting at the same time. Alton also seems to pick up some steam, getting better as he goes.

Kevin explains the scoring, then the Chairman interviews Bobby Flay before tasting and judgment. No view of all the dishes together? It's interesting how Bobby is always saying "we" when referring to the cooking. Giving credit to his assistants?

Sakai is and always has been my favorite Iron Chef. I want him to win. I love the set up for tasting in this version. It owes a lot to the original show, with the bonus that I actually understand every word.

WHAT??!?? Bobby Flay won???? Oh man, that's just sad. Still, this is a good translation of a fun little show.

Coming next week: Conan, Usagi Yojimbo, Harley & Ivy, Green Lantern, and JLA. Also left to review, Electric Girl Volume 1 and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

by Tegan at 11:15 PM Seattle time - Permalink

For the record, the Seattle Times ran Today's Doonesbury. As usual, it's on the opinion page.

Hey, check out this analysis of the action in The Interman. It just makes me want to reread it all the more. Oh wait, Lisa returned the book, I can reread it!

Remember, 24 Hour Comics Day is TOMORROW! Find a site near you and visit.

Dark Horse Comics is having trouble filling demand for Hellboy books. A good explanation of why this is of interest to comic book fans is over at Franklin's Findings.

I somehow got involved in a major dust-up on the comics blogosphere, about an obscure Silver Age character. Indeed, to my vast amusement, I apparently started the fracas in an entry like this one. Well, fine then... Nice cover, Legomancer, but shouldn't it be spelled 'Space Cabbie'?

Kevin Melrose points out an article my husband will need to read. Archaeology magazine talks with Eric Shanower about Age of Bronze! If you haven't read Age of Bronze yet, go get a copy and read it. Good stuff, and I still think this ought to be in high schools so they can "see" the story better. And yes, I know there is adult content, but it was in the original tales. In some cases even worse than Eric shows it.

Kevin misunderstood my admittedly hamfisted attempt to say that the title of Digital Webbing Presents isn't something that jumps out and says "buy me!" In my Flipping Through Previews post, I tried to explain why I had missed the book in the past... I wasn't (at that point) commenting on the quality of the book itself. Sorry, Kevin. I hope I didn't offend.

Shane Bailey posts another Blue Beetle Sketch. This one is by Aaron Sowd, who I've never met so I can't point to an Aquaman sketch by him, sorry. My Aquaman sketches have recently come to the attention of some real art collectors, thanks to a post I made on the comicart list on Yahoo, and I'm a bit overwhelmed by the kind comments from them.

There's a fascinating article about Mennonites on an exchange program living in Iran for a few years. Via Pacific Views.

WARNING POLITICS AHEAD (people tired of my political rants can just skip the rest of the post):

The North Korea Zone has thoughts and links on various conspiracy theories as to the train explosion. When information is not forthcoming, people will make up their own reasons for events. In any case, North Korea is now asking for humanitarian aid.

This is a bit of political garbage that actually gives me hope for the future: After harshly chastising Diebold Election Systems for what it considered deceptive business practices, a California voting systems panel voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the secretary of state decertify an electronic touch-screen voting machine manufactured by the company, making it likely that four California counties that recently purchased the machines will have to find other voting solutions for the November presidential election.

The panel also voted to send the findings of its recent Diebold investigation to the state's attorney general for possible criminal and civil charges against the firm for violating state election laws.

That's right, folks: the people at Diebold who lied, covered up, and promised to deliver votes to Georgie might just face criminal charges!

The huge spike in traffic from people wanting to see the images that the Memory Hole obtained has all but shut the site down. There are now some mirror sites. Please note: the government does not want you to see these photos, which show the incredible amount of respect the armed forces shows our fallen. According to Kevin Drum, some of the photos (the earliest in the series) are from the Columbia disaster, not from the war.

There is also a bit of slander/libel going around about Tami Silicio. She was NOT paid for the photo she provided to the Seattle Times. That's a flat-out lie. She wanted to show a friend the respect with which the dead are treated, and the friend sent the photo to the Times. Silicio was not compensated for the use of the photo, and in fact lost her job because of it. If you hear that she was paid, you are being lied to. SHE WAS NOT PAID FOR THE PHOTO.

by Tegan at 3:08 PM Seattle time - Permalink

NOTE: If you aren't interested in my Previews overview (I know it's very long), you can skip to my latest Rapid Reviews.

Yes, it's that time again... time for "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". I'm going to start with the bulk of the book, and then come back and cover the "big four" at the end. Please remember, I'm listing what looks interesting. My actual purchase list is going to be much smaller. The numbers after each title are usually the page number in Previews Magazine, so you can follow along at home.

Let's start with the covers. The front cover is of Jim Valentino's "normalman", as it pretty effective, I think. It's got a yellow and red superhero in front of fireworks and an American flag, gigantic chin and patriotic pose... Very amusing. The back cover is of Tim Hunter, I think, from the alternate universe Books of Magic, which apparently added a "k" to magic just to make sure you know it's not the normal Books of Magic. Nice effect with Tim's hair.

I don't usually mention the Previews Contest (7), but I think I'll mention this one, since it's "Kid-Friendly Month". The prizes are quite awesome, and I think I'll enter even though my chances aren't too good. If you have a kid, I strongly urge you to enter them in the contest. The prizes are very nice, and definitely kid-friendly.

Moving on, let's hit the Splash Page (8-9). I admit to being a little less than enthused about the "tribute" to Julie Schwartz. I'm just not sure how it's going to come off, and a lousy set of one-shots isn't much of tribute. I'll most likely be getting them anyway, I just hope they're better than I fear they'll be. The second big story is Comic Buyer's Guide changing format. I would get the mag if I could afford it, but I mostly rely on the 'net for my comic book information. The book about Manga from Harper Design looks very intriguing. There is a "Kid-Friendly" logo with an article about books that are kid-friendly. Does this mean they will be highlighting good stuff for kids from now on, or just this month?

There's a list of Kid-Friendly stuff on page 11. It's more than a little disappointing. Less than two of the four columns are comics. Oh well. Nice try, I guess.

Pages 12-15 have the books for Free Comic Book Day, and once again I urge those of you who have good retailers with whom you are friendly to go to your retailer and chip in a few dollars towards the purchase of the "free" comics. They are not free for the retailers, with prices ranging from 10-90 cents. If you chip in, it'll ease the burden on the retailer and allow more people to get free comics. Consider it! I contributed $20 and asked that my retailer give me a single copy of each book in the Gold and Silver range. If everything comes, that's 31 books! You can't beat that for $20, and she seemed surprised I contributed that much.

Ok, jumping past the big four and into the meat of the comics section, ok, Wizard at least. There's another volume of Wizard's Twisted ToyFare Theatre (194), which appeals to my juvenile geek side like nothing else. I think we have the first three volumes, so we might get this.

Ok, into the good stuff.

Aardvark-Vanaheim has a book called Following Cerebus #1 (206). Essays, interviews, and a new Cerebus cover. Hmmm.

About Comics has 24 Hour Comics Day - Highlights 2004 (206). As you know, 24 Hour Comics Day is TOMORROW! So there's no artwork from this book, none of it has been drawn yet. I may go check out the local 24 hour comics action at Rain City Comics over in Woodinville (next town to the East from us).

The rather cool ad for Abstract Studios Strangers in Paradise on page 207 caught my eye. How could it not? Someday I would like to try that series out.

Ah yes, another issue of one of my personal favorites! Girl Genius #12 (216) from Airship Entertainment. There should be a second collection of Girl Genius soon, too. My copy of the first collection is currently out on loan. I will addict all my neighbors to comic books!

Ahem. Moving on, we get to the comics blogosphere's current favorite publisher, AIT/Planet Lar. First up is Demo #8 (216). Get it. That's all I can say. On the "kid-friendly" front is Ursula GN (217), which sounds odd. I haven't read my preview copies of Scurvy Dogs yet, but #5 is being solicited.

All Thumbs Press (which has a disturbing opening image for their site) is putting out a book called True Travel Tales #1 (217) which looks interesting from the solicit. I guess the "Mexican Lizard Gods, accidental cliff-diving, whip-wielding grannies, and more..." just got me. And I like biographies (in case you hadn't noticed).

Ok, next up is Amaze Ink/Slave Labor, which always has something of interest. The first item of note is a collection: Patty Cake Volume 1: Sugar and Spice... Mostly Spice (218). I've often wondered about Patty Cake. And it has a "kid-friendly" logo. Other books I looked at are Autumn #1 (219), which looks terribly strange, and Egg Story, which looks very cute but also brings to mind some of the Betty MacDonald chicken tales.

Antarctic Press (224) has the usual. The final issue of Dictators: Hitler is solicited, this one titled "The Dictator". More I Hunt Monsters and Neotopia. Nothing jumps out me as begging to be mentioned.

AP Comics has a book that jumped out at me. The Chase #1 (226) involves a city full of gangsters, a taxi driver, and a suitcase.

I finally gave in and ordered Ant #1 from Arcana Studio, and now Ant #3 (228) is being solicited. Once I get the first issue, I'll review it then decide if I want to go back-issue hunting.

No surprise, Archie Comics (229) is overflowing with "kid-friendly" logos.

Wow. You mean to tell me that Fathom had other characters besides mostly naked women? Aspen Entertainment is soliciting Fathom: Cannon Hawke #0 (230) and there are no mostly naked women on the cover! Instead, a topless guy. That's much more appealing to me... (note: larger two-page spread solicit on pages 270-271).

The Astonish Factory (231) has a couple of "kid-friendly" logo'd books, both of which look pretty good. The Lab Volume 1: Hey... Test This! sounds like a fun read. Flipped #1 is a book of flippable animation.

Blind Wolf Studios has a "kid-friendly"... A Jimmy Dydo Adventure (242). It's very hard to see from the tiny sample of the cover if the art is appealing or not.

I still can't find an official Bongo Comics website, but their Futurama comics (242) have been declared "kid-friendly" too.

Bud Plant has a book I want. Pirates (248) has art from Howard Pyle. Looks like a winner... and it's only $7. I wonder if I can talk hubby-Eric into it?

And oh yes, Colonia Press is back, with a full-page ad (251) and the first of a three issue arc. Colonia #9 (250) is one book I'm definitely looking forward to reading. If you want a sample of how weird and wonderful the book is, take a look at the ad.

WHAM. I've run smack-dab into CrossGen. Let's see... Abadazad #5 (258) and El Cazador #8 (259) which still says the art is by Steve Epting. Should Epting leave El Cazador, I won't buy it anymore.

Dark Planet Productions (268) once again has a couple of books that look interesting to me. First up is Miserere #1, which is set in an odd Europe. The solicitation sounds like it got the date wrong, or I could just be reading more into it than I should. But it looks like something I might enjoy. The other book is The Spartan: An Ancient Greek Tale, which appears to be about a renegade Spartan, but it's hard to tell. The solicit is poorly written.

Digital Webbing (286). I'd never really given them a second look before. I guess their covers never jumped out at me, or something. And Digital Webbing Presents isn't what I'd call a terribly exciting title for a book. Fortunately for me, blogger Kevin Melrose has written a story for the anthology, and even sent me a copy of the book it appeared in. So I now know what I was missing. While I won't say it was the best book I've ever read, it was a solid anthology, and I think it's worth reading to keep up with the latest upcoming artists and writers. This issue, Digital Webbing Presents #16, doesn't have a Kevin story in it, but the next issue will. Maybe you oughta jump on board now to get an idea what to expect.

I really love PS238 by Aaron Williams, so I can't imagine not liking Nodwick (286) from the same guy. I may have to start getting it. Check it out at Dork Storm Press.

Drive Comics is launching a series with "CGI art-style" called The Symbiotes #1 (287). It's got a look, will there be a story to match?

It's not a surprise that Gemstone's books are "kid-friendly" (310-311).

Oh man, how I wish I could afford to get G.T.Labs (314) latest book and poster! Suspended in Language is about Neils Bohr, and I'll have to save up my pennies for it. All the stuff G.T.Labs puts out is worth getting, and if you don't have a copy of Dignifying Science, it's a sin.

ibooks (315) has the "kid-friendly" Amelia Rules collection (highly recommended), and Yossel: April 19, 1943, both resolicits.

IDW Publishing is trying to recreate 24 in a comic book: 24: One Shot #1 (315). Don't know if they'll accomplish it. Another "kid-friendly" book is Olympus Heights #1 (316). Art samples on page 320 don't tell me much, but it could be good.

Moonstone Books is soliciting The Phantom #4 (328), which is a pretty good book. DB will want it.

Random House (337) has Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi. The first volume was quite good, so I'll recommend this second one sight unseen.

Renaissance Press (338) provides us with another issue of Amelia Rules: Super-Heroes #4. Yes, it's "kid-friendly", and yes, you should buy it.

Tokyopop's solicits are now unreadable. Well, at least annoying. I prefer how Devil's Due Publishing does it... unreadable "ad" solicits along with regular solicits.

Squelching out of the comics section into the Magazines and Books, I notice that there is now a plethora of great books on comics. I can't really afford any, not and still afford to get comics.

Ok. Can you think of any reason that anyone in their right mind would want a 10-Inch Poseable Talking Plush of Smeagol? (521)

WizKids Games (542) has a new contructable game, featuring galleons and schooners that you put together. It looks kind of cool... Pirates of the SPanish Main Constructable Strategy Game. I'm curious.

There's a Challenge of the Superfriends DVD set (567). Oooh, I want it.

I also want the Wonder Woman Complete First Season DVD Set (568). Those are the ones set in WWII, not the later crappy ones.

Jumping back to the front of the book to tackle the big four, let's start with ever annoying Marvel Comics (184). As usual, I'm ordering from the shipping list, as I don't want their piece of crap let's-make-everyone-pay-more-for-Previews little catalog. So I'll be ordering Thor #82, Amazing Spider-Man #69 (#510), and Supreme Power #12. From their Icon line, I'll be re-ordering Powers #1 and Powers #2.

Sauntering through the Image Comics previews, I realized that I'm not likely to get anything from them this month, but there are a couple of books I want to point out. The first is The Drowned (140), which is a horror story set in 1800. It looks intriguing, and if I were more into horror, I'd probably get it. Next up is Flight (142), which I would definitely get if I had a few more dollars to burn. Another book I'm looking at is Noble Causes #1, which is the first issue of a new ongoing. I really enjoyed the Noble Causes trade I got at the Emerald City Comicon, so this one is very tempting.

Dark Horse is next, so I can finish with the big one. Looks like Conan #6 (30) is a no-brainer. I'm just enjoying the pure fantasy of the series. BMW Films' The Hire #1 (32) is a crazy way to market a line of cars, but the mini-movies aren't half-bad and getting a comic book to go along with them was a natural next step. I'm still peeved about the premature collection of the first two issues, but hubby-Eric wants to get The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist #3 (34) anyway. I'm not that interested anymore. There's a Shockrockets trade, it was a good series, I bet it reads very nicely in trade format. Of course we'll get Usagi Yojimbo #77.

And so we move to the last publisher: DC Comics.

Ug. Another Justice League tie-in. I think, if hubby-Eric doesn't mind, that I'd like to skip Justice League: Elite entirely (60-61). Same thing goes for the utterly pointless reboot of the Doom Patrol (62-65).

Of far more interest to me is Books of Magick: Life During Wartime (66-69), which appears to be a Books of Magic on-going Elseworld. It's the "on-going" bit that actually turned me off. I haven't read any of the original books, so I'm not going to invest in a series I'm not sure about.

Bloodhound (70-73) looks like Chase on steroids. But I liked the three page preview, and I hope we can get this one.

Batman: The Order of Beasts (74-77) looks like an Elseworld without the logo to me. Set in "wartime" England. Check. Batman. Check. Nazis. Check. Yeah, I'll get it.

That has got to be the ugliest Catwoman outfit I've ever seen. Pages 78-80.

I'm just not sure about the Julie Schwartz "tribute" books (84-85). They might be fun, but they just as easily might be crap. I don't know, it doesn't seem very fitting to me. We'll probably get them, but I'm mildly disturbed by the whole idea.

Ya know, I didn't much like Joe Kelly's Justice League. And I'm currently hating Byrne and Claremont's take. And after that? Chuck Austen (90). Is DC trying to kill off the JLA?

I'm tempted by Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #181 (99), because it looks like it might just be an Oracle story.

Right... maybe I should just list what I think we'll be getting. From the world of Batman: Batman Adventures #16 (100), Batman: The Order of Beasts, Birds of Prey #69, and Birds of Prey #70. In the world of Superman: Superman: Birthright #12 (103) and Smallville #9 (104). From the regular DC Universe: Aquaman #20, Bloodhound #1, Crisis on Multiple Earths vol 3 (105), DC Comics Presents: Batman #1, DC Comics Presents: Mystery In Space #1, DC Comics Presents: Green Lantern #1 (106), DC Comics Presents: Hawkman #1, DC: The New Frontier #5, Fallen Angel #13 (107), Green Arrow #40 (108), Green Lantern #179, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol 2, H-E-R-0 #18 (109), Identity Crisis #2, JLA #101, JLA #102, Justice League of America: Another Nail #3 (110), JSA #63, Justice League Adventures #33, Outsiders #14 (111), and Plastic Man #8. From Vertigo: Sea Guy #3 (118) and Swamp Thing #5. And I know hubby-Eric would love to have the DC Direct First Appearance: Green Lantern.

So that's it for this month's "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". Comments? Questions? Did I miss any really cool books that you know about and would like to point out? Do you disagree with something I wrote, and want to correct me? There's the comments, right below. Post something. And, yes, I accept review copies. I'm willing to give almost anything a try.

by Tegan at 12:50 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Thursday, April 22, 2004

Superman: Secret Identity #4: If Kurt had ended this any differently, I would have been disappointed. There were quite a few far more dramtic ways to end it, but none would have fit the tone and the style of the mini as well. I really enjoyed it, but there's nothing much to say about it. It was just one of those really satisfying reads.

Outsiders #11: Ouch. That had to sting. Except for Lian, who I like, this book just didn't do much for me.

Still to review: Batman Adventures and Astro City/Arrowsmith. And some other stuff. Like maybe a story by a fellow blogger, even. And maybe some more from the AIT/Planet Lar box.

And in other news: Ain't It Cool reviews Aquaman #15-17, and is mostly positive.

And yeah, I confess. I only posted the link to Ain't It Cool so I had an excuse to repost all three of the Alan Freakin' Davis covers published so far.

by Tegan at 7:06 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Diebold apologizes about using illegal software for actual elections: "We were caught. We apologize for that," said Diebold Election Services Inc. president Bob Urosevich. Lovely. They're sorry they got caught. Via Hit and Run.

If you vote, request a paper ballot. If you cannot be provided with a paper ballot that will allow for recounts, you might as well assume that you are not being allowed to vote.

And apparently California has now decertified Diebold voting machines for the next election, meaning that, in California at least, Diebold cannot keep their promise of delivering the election to Bush. Now, lets see if other states wake up to the fraud that is Diebold and decert them too.

The Memory Hole filed a Freedom of Information request to get access to more images (mirror site) like the one that lost Tami Silicio and her husband their jobs. After all, the government doesn't support freedom of the press when it might make them look bad.

Here's a fair comparison of Kerry and Bush's military records. Via Washington Monthly. Personally I prefer Kos' comparison, but the one above is definitely more fair.

by Tegan at 4:30 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Happy day to Grandma Katy (I hope Nancy will be so kind as to convey my wishes to her if hubby and I don't make it out to see her today) and happy Earth Day to everyone else.

by Tegan at 12:19 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Smallville [3-18]: Truth: Just TELL her already! ARGH! How stupid can you be, Clark? Chloe won't rest until she either knows or is dead. And Chloe is a great friend... if she's not dying from curiousity. This could have been better, but was fun overall.

Angel [5-18]: Origin: Who the heck is Connor? Ok, this gives a lot of information. Interesting bits with Gunn. And Wesley is once again running rampant trying to bring back just one thing using whatever methods he can find. I just wish I knew what part Wesley played in the Connor saga, which I haven't seen at all. Definitely not as funny as some episodes, but interesting, nonetheless.

Comics to review: Secret Identity, Batman Adventures, Outsiders, and Astro City/Arrowsmith.

by Tegan at 10:00 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Neat stuff to look through at The British Library, including Leonardo's notebooks. via Near Mint Heroes, which is a blog you ought to be reading.

Yeah, I took the Geek Test. I'm not telling you my score, except that it wasn't quite 50%. Being female adds a bit, as does having met my husband via the 'net. I think I got the original link from Johnny B, and was reminded to blog about it by Mah Two Cents.

Worksafe, as long as you're willing to explain it, Finger Tricks. Ah, digital cameras. In the old days, people would not have wasted film on this sort of fun. via Boing Boing, the Blog of Wonderful Things.

USA Today notices Iraqi bloggers. Every blog they mention is one I've been visiting and reading for some time. via Boing Boing

Here's a very odd article that compares Superman to Satan. It was a little better researched than I first imagined, but very poorly argued, with a major dearth of logic, and several unsupported logical jumps. The follow-up article isn't as well written, but does a decent job of demolishing the argument anyway. via DeCloah Blog.

What are you doing on September 11th? Personally, I didn't have any plans, but now I do. via Crooked Timber.

Ok, this is a really amusing story about a blimp. You gotta love the internet, which brings you these great tales... via Metafilter.

Hubby-Eric and I are trying to figure out whether it would be cheaper to fly down to Asilomar for the Winkie (Wizard of Oz) Convention this year, or to drive. According to Mapquest, the drive is 927.40 miles, or 14 hours 32 minutes driving. We generally stop for the night while driving. So far, the airfares haven't gotten low enough to justify flying, especially with my intense dislike of flying (and I have not been on a plane since 9/11, so the security would all be new to me, but I hated it before and I don't see me enjoying it any more now).

Speaking of the con, I'll most likely have limited internet access during the time I'm at Asilomar. See, the rooms are nice and cozy. No televisions, no phones. I've lined up a guest blogger for the time I'm gone, if she's still willing once July rolls around (she'll also be house-sitting). I may get the time to log in from the business center, but it's not going to be a high priority. So it's possible that my string of at least one blog a day since I started this thing might be broken. Don't say I didn't warn you.

At the moment I'm suffering from a nasty head cold that is staying in my sinuses and driving me bonkers. If my blogging falls off, it means that I just finally got some real sleep.

by Tegan at 5:21 PM Seattle time - Permalink

REAL catblogging. via Near Mint Heroes.

How to make a soft-boiled egg cake. I kind of want to try it... via Boing Boing.

Need to do an update on Fintan Studios. The next TPB is coming out in July: the forgotten: charitable causes. I really enjoyed the first trade, about a superhero who could make people forget about himself. I'll be hunting down this one, too. Oh yeah, and their page works fine on the latest Mozilla now.

Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber have posted their Wizard World LA Con Report, a joint effort. My thoughts after reading it? People were taking this Galactus thing way too seriously. And I collect HeroClix, so I understand the appeal.

RE: Today's Doonesbury. I don't think I've ever seen BD without a helmet on before.

by Tegan at 7:39 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

My congratulations to The Seattle Times for daring to show what the Bush administration doesn't want anyone to see.

Photo by Tami Silicio - Flag-draped coffins are secured inside a cargo plane on April 7 at Kuwait International Airport. Military and civilian crews take great care with the remains of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq. Soldiers form an honor guard and say a prayer as, almost nightly, coffins are loaded for the trip home.

The response to the photo has been overwhelmingly positive, as the editor reports. People are tired of not hearing the news because Bush doesn't want us to see the dead.

The picture arrived amid rising debate over the Bush administration's strict ban on media outlets taking photos of soldiers' coffins offloaded at U.S. military bases.

"The administration cannot tell us what we can and cannot publish," David Boardman, managing editor at The Seattle Times, told Editor & Publisher Monday afternoon.

Of course, the dead aren't the only story about Iraq that Bush doesn't want people to hear. As if 704 dead American soldiers wasn't bad enough (as of this writing), there are also over 5000 wounded in Bush's war so far counting ONLY the Americans. We don't have solid numbers on how many Iraqis have died or had their lives changed forever. But at least the wounded are getting some spotlight, even though it took two cartoonists to finally show it. This week's Doonesbury and this week's Get Fuzzy are both covering the trauma of those wounded in Iraq.

by Tegan at 2:18 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Monday, April 19, 2004

Mike got his box from Larry, who is going to get the nickname of "Santa Larry" here soon if he's not careful. I don't know how much influence the blogosphere has on the regular gamut of comic book readers, or even regular readers, but if we have any at all, AIT/Planet Lar sales will be going up.

Dwight Williams has offered to send me his latest work, Evening Shift from Arctic Star Studios. There are preview pages available at the website.

Have you wondered what Smallville's Tom Welling would look like dressed as Superman? Well, wonder no more. Alex Ross is sharing his vision of Tom as Superman. via Near Mint Heroes.

Four Color Meat and Fish sings the praises of Backissue magazine.

Amy Langfield has some strong reasoning on how soon we'll be seeing newspapers blogging. She has, as usual, the practical take on the situation.

From bookslut comes news of an art exhibit that had its roots in a hate crime.

Condi Rice makes a freudian slip: "At a recent dinner party ... Rice was reportedly overheard saying, “As I was telling my husb—” and then stopping herself abruptly, before saying, “As I was telling President Bush.” Jaws dropped, but a guest says the slip by the unmarried politician, who spends weekends with the president and his wife, seemed more psychologically telling than incriminating."

by Tegan at 11:29 PM Seattle time - Permalink

1602 Part Eight: Oooh. It was a long wait for the final issue, especially with that cliffhanger, but it worked. I'm going to have to pull the series together and read the whole thing from the start. I particularly liked the way the series was finally wrapped up... with endless possibilities still open. Even though this is in continuity, I can't help but think of it as a Marvel Elseworld, and I'll be sorely tempted by any other stories that might end up set in the 1602 universe.

One last note, can anyone identify the "President-for-life" for me? Neil says on his blog it's a Marvel character, but I don't know any that fit.

Common Grounds #4: We get three stories in this issue, and they don't disappoint. "Time of Their Lives" was good, but really needed the twist ending. "Fat Chance" was another viewpoint on what life as an adventurer really requires. It also had a lot to do with being willing to confront yourself, as opposed to blaming outside forces. And "Glory Days" was just oddly beautiful. Like some sort of superhero poem. A ballad in artwork. Very nice.

AIT/Planet Lar box random pick number three: Channel Zero: Jennie One.

Channel Zero: Jennie One by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan: After liking Demo so much, I suppose I came into reading this one with a sense that I would enjoy it no matter what. Well, I was wrong. I just don't get it. Perhaps part of it was that I was never a rebellious youth. I don't identify with the main character even remotely. Part of it is that this doesn't seem to be the whole story. This is a set-up, or a postscript. Jennie mentions the internet, but we don't see that part except as an open laptop. She claims to have made a name for herself, but whatever it was she did isn't shown. The jumps in time are also annoying... the only way to follow the action is to check out how many tattoos she has. In short, this did almost nothing for me.

Coming Wednesday for me to review: Batman Adventures, Secret Identity, Outsiders, and Arrowsmith/Astro City. And hopefully something else, though I'm not counting on it. And Previews... I'll be doing a "Flipping Through Previews" post sometime in the next week and a half. And let me just send another little curse to Elayne for managing to get me, my husband, and my little sister all addicted to Bookworm. Three people, each playing the game on their laptop. The conversation consisting of "that's not a word?" and "Hey, 'Qua' is a word!"

by Tegan at 4:35 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Sunday, April 18, 2004

Onions in the Stew by Betty MacDonald: Another collection of life experiences, woven into a crazy quilt of a book that is at times touching, but always very funny. This book is about her second marriage and her move to Vashon island during the war, since she couldn't find a house anywhere within Seattle. The house is still there, and serves as an inn where people can go to experience her life. This book also covers the adolescence of her children, and how to live on an island: "Anyone contemplating island dwelling must be physically strong and it is an added advantage if you aren't too bright." Hmmm. She includes recipes for cooking clams found on her beach, Clam Chowder and Clam Fritters. Unfortunately, the most magical part of the book is at the very end, when Betty comes to terms with her children growing up. While the rest of the book is very good, and of great interest to anyone local, except for the ending it doesn't have the same magic as the first three of her books.

Just as a note, the copy of this book I got from the library is the Vashon Island library copy, and somebody has underlined a few bits in the first chapter: "The population is around five thousand", "two restaurants" (in the middle of a listing of the main town's attributes), "Vashon reminds me of a nice girl who doesn't know how to dress." and "Ten years ago a good steak dinner including soup and pie and coffee was forty-five cents -- now it is a dollar without the soup."

Betty died in 1958 (from cancer, she was a heavy smoker - as indicated in her books). Trying to find a good bibliography of her books was near impossible. You would think that somebody somewhere would have listed the dates and titles of her books! But if someone did, I couldn't find it. So here's a Betty MacDonald Bibliography, as complete as I can make it, using data from the Library of Congress Online.

• The Egg and I (1945)
• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1947)
• The Plague and I (1948)
• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic (1949)
• Anybody Can Do Anything (1950)
• Nancy and Plum (1952)
• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm (1954)
• Onions in the Stew (1955)
• Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1957)

Both The Egg and I and The Plague and I were partially serialized in magazines before publication. Some of her nine books were later collected/edited into other editions, which are listed below:

• Who Me? The Autobiography of Betty MacDonald (1959) - collected from her four autobiographical books
• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Treasury (1994)
• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Won't-Pick-Up-Toys Cure (1997)
• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Won't-Take-a-Bath Cure (1997)

I haven't read all her books. The next goal is to find a copy of Nancy and Plum to read. Once I get through some of the other books I have checked out from the library. I have read the first Piggle-Wiggle book and enjoyed it greatly, and thought I'd read or heard parts of it before. I'll have to read the rest of her books soon. And I know that her sister Mary Bard wrote a book, and I'd also like to get my hands on the book/story that Betty's friend Kimi wrote.

Betty's stories ring true to someone who lives here in the Northwest. Her attitude is familiar. She describes the living beauty of the area better than almost any other writer I've read. And she has the same response to it that most of us have... resignation and wonder. She's one of the first great writers to live here, and her stories are important for both their historical value and for their place in the heart of the area.

by Tegan at 9:16 PM Seattle time - Permalink

According to my e-mail, I'm not the only one seeing Blogspot sites turn into gibberish. In fact, one person e-mailed me because my site had turned into gibberish, and another (hi Fred!) mentioned that mine was gibberish yesterday but fine today. Apparently just refreshing the page will usually clear up the problem.

Kaja Foglio reports on the Nebulas... well, one Nebula... and the most fiendish building in Seattle. Kaja's gaming project is now showing up on the GURPS page.

Also speaking of Girl Genius, I've just been volunteered to be on the Girl Genius panel at Anglicon XVII, which has a "Steampunk" theme this year. As I've already mentioned, unless she succumbs to the Anglicon curse, Virginia Hey (Farscape) is this year's guest. I intend to dress as a Mad Scientist.

Fred Hembeck (no permalinks) reports on a soccer game (that's football to the rest of the world), and the accompanying drama regarding goal-tending.

Grotesque Anatomy has some great quotes from Supergirl Archives Volume 2. My favorite: "In a way I'll miss that second head! It was almost like having...a twin sister!"

Thought Balloons has an absolutely awful re-imagining of Mickey Mouse, to go with an article about Mickey's relevance.

According to Monitor Duty, some theatres are accidently cutting out an entire scene from Hellboy because the projectionist mistakenly thinks that a fade to absolute black in one scene means that reel is over.

Hey! The Mariners won another game! They're actually 4-8 now! If they keep this up, they might even go over .500 before the end of the year!

I took this political quiz I found over at Jeff Parker's blog, and I'm apparently a liberal-leaning Libertarian. Hubby-Eric, on the other hand, is just plain Liberal.

Another very painful entry at Doc Shazam's blog. This one about a burned child. Read the comments, one poster has a guess as to why the child did not cry.

Is a Muslim call to prayers the same thing as church bells? There's a debate about it in the Detroit area. Personally, I find church bells very annoying in the early morning, but I'd accept bells as long as Muslim calls were also allowed. You can't allow one without allowing the other. via Paul, who has his own opinion.

Pacific Views sums up the current Jamie Gorelick situation, with a link to Gorelick defending herself in a Washington Post op-ed piece that demolishes Ashcroft's underhanded declassification attack. PV also points to the death threats Gorelick has received as a result of Ashcroft's lying innuendo.

An open letter from the father of a soldier to President Bush. "I'll be candid, Mr. President: I don't believe you have the slightest idea how hard it is having a loved one in Iraq. ... I am still waiting for answers to questions that you do not seem willing to address. You owe the country the truth. Nothing more -- nothing less." via Blah3.com.

Here's a cynical prediction: "Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, promised President Bush the Saudis would cut oil prices before November to ensure the U.S. economy is strong on election day, journalist Bob Woodward said in a television interview Sunday." That's from Forbes.com.

by Tegan at 5:23 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Dodge's Bullets: This is a grim 'n gritty detective story set in Seattle. The artwork is wonderful, and captures the look of Seattle quite well. The opening splash, with "snapshots" of Seattle landmarks over a map, is very nice. I wouldn't mind a print of that. As far as the story goes, it's pretty strong. The artwork does a good job with the storytelling, which is important during the numerous short fight scenes. Overall I only have one small nit, and I'll forgive it as there are a lot of reasons it might have worked that way. So I'll recommend this to anyone who likes straight up hard boiled detective tales.

Fallen Angel #10: I don't know. I really don't know. This book is simply confounding. It doesn't make much sense, and yet everything makes a lot of sense. It's like attending a philosophy lecture by a really good professor. You want to keep reading, you want to keep following, but you aren't sure. And this issue has the whole good/evil insanity... I just don't know. I keep reading it, but I'm not sure what it pulling me back.

AIT/Planet Lar box random pick number two: Last of the Independents.

Last of the Independents by Matt Fraction and Kieron Dwyer: This is practically a storybook in some ways. The layout is the first thing that jumps out at you. It comes in a nice wrapper so it will sit properly on a shelf, but the format is landscape, more like a storybook than a graphic novel. You have three characters that you quickly start to like... who just happen to be bank robbers. They've made a critical miscalculation, which is followed by a few more, but they're tough and they fight through it. The artwork is strong and evocative, and the sepia coloring makes for a symbolic sort of read. It's very strange, but definitely worth a look if you are into crime stories. It's a good use of the form.

Still to review: 1602 and Common Grounds.

by Tegan at 1:03 PM Seattle time - Permalink