Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog Archive 31 Jul 2005 to 06 Aug 2005

Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog Archive
Laura "Tegan" Gjovaag

Saturday, August 06, 2005

Hiroshima

Boing Boing points to an on-line archive of pictures from Hiroshima.

-by Tegan at 8:57 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Friday, August 05, 2005

Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)

I get to cat-blog today! This little darlin' doesn't have a name that I know, but I have called him (or her) a number of nasty names that I don't feel comfortable repeating here. This is that cat that leaves "cat seeds" in our planter box and muddy prints all over my van (even when it's been clear and dry for a week!). I often spot this cat skulking away from our yard as I drive up or chase it off my van when I come out to go to work, and I think he belongs to the neighbors right next door to the North.

I got these picture when I went out to document the decorations that greeted me when I returned from the 3-Day. The cat was very ready to run from me, but was curious enough to stick around when I didn't get in the car or shout at it.

There are a few more outdoor cats in the neighborhood, as well, so I'm not sure this is the only cat that uses my planter box as a deluxe cat toilet. But hey, I finally got a picture of the thing!

-by Tegan at 6:42 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Review Copy Reviews

Nothing Left To Lose: This one got sent to me by Water Media Books, and I wasn't at all sure what to make of it. There's a strange tale of an evil corporation testing something sinister... I'm not entirely certain I understood the ending, especially the demise of two of the characters, but it was very interesting anyway. I wouldn't recommend it to the casual reader, but if you are looking for something non-superheroey to try, you might give this one a glance.

Claypool Comics sent me two "Jump-in" issues, Soulsearchers And Company #70 and Deadbeats #70. I'm sad to report that I was pretty much unable to get through Soulsearchers. The whole thing never clicked for me. There just seemed to be too much backstory to even try to understand it all. Deadbeats had better art, but was on a subject matter I don't like much at all. I'm just really tired of Vampires in any form. So neither of these get a rating from me.

The Annotated Wondermark: I knew I was going to enjoy reading this book within the first few pages, as the book carefully directs the reader to rotate the book 90 degrees. Heh. I wasn't sure at first, considering that the art is just recycled classic art with new captions. But it's a remarkably funny comic, and the extra material in the back is informative enough without being too snarky. In any case, you folks ought to check out the on-line version to see if it's too your taste. This is a nice package.

-by Tegan at 2:02 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Rapid Reviews - 3 August 2005

Phantom #8: "The Aviatrix" part 2 of 2: Another solid issue, but this one builds on the last one, so if you haven't read issue seven, don't even try this issue. Still, good artwork, strong story, and a fun sense of the Phantom's history made this two-issue arc the best this book has had yet. Definitely worth a look.

PVP #0: A nice introductory book to PvP, with a bonus section on the origins of Skull the Troll. Definitely worth picking up. And it's only 50 cents. Go get it.

Simpsons Classics #5: Another set of Simpsons Comics reprints, another bit of typical Simpsons stories. I'm not entirely sure, in fact, why I'm reviewing this. I'll just say what I always say. If you like the Simpsons, this is worth getting. If you are indifferent or don't like the Simpsons, don't get this.

Opposite Forces Vol 2 #1: I've read this story before! Yes, it's a reprint... but it's in color and, if I'm not mistaken, a little cleaned up as well. If you never got the chance to check this one out when it first appeared, give this issue a chance. It's only 75 cents, and well worth that much.

Superman #220: "Home": Oh goody. I at least have a clue what's up with Superboy because I've read the recent Teen Titans. And for that matter, I know what's up with Superman because I read three of the four parts about his recent problem. So I'm actually almost entirely clued in on this one. Except for why the Fortress is trashed, and what's John Henry doing there, and why is he calling himself a former superhero... Not awful, but still not wonderful.

Detective Comics #809: "To the Victor Go the Spoils: War Crimes part 1": Uh. I could have sworn that in the last issue, Batman was deep undercover. Now there's something about Spoiler (is she dead?!??) and pretty much no sign of the previous storyline, that I can see. And the back-up story is still mildly ok. I'm just confused.

DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy #3: "Knights of The Sun and Moon": Certainly the best issue so far, as the Titans attempt to wake Troia or whatever her name is this week from her stupor. This one hangs together much better and explains the characters better than the previous two. I wouldn't give this to a new reader, though. You would get it thrown back in your face.

JSA #76: "In Search Of...": I love the cover. I think the new Mr Terrific is my favorite JSA character after Ma Hunkel. Speaking of, she shows up in this one too. All the various annoying parts of the crossover are coming together in this issue, which is also the trial of Al Rothstein. The last page relies a bit on continuity, but I know the name. Wouch.

Justice League Unlimited #12: "Old School": Oh, this one was GREAT. The petulant brat making Jay feel miserable, the great trap for Wally. Oh, this one just rocked all the way through. I was mildly irritated by the Bionicle mini-comic in the middle of the book, but that was really the only sour point in the whole thing. I want more books like this one.

Justice #1: On the first glance, I wasn't sure who was having the nightmares, but it didn't take me long to figure out who that eye belonged to once I read a little further. Whoo. What a story. And, excuse me, but what an AQUAMAN... rrrrrrr! Give me a topless Aquaman any day if that's how Ross draws him. *cold shower* Anyway. I liked this issue. Alex Ross art can be a little too "strike a pose" at times, but I think he did a good job on this one. I love the profiles in the back, as well. And his Aquaman... that panel of him next to the one where he's putting on his tunic... rrrrrr! This one gets an extra starfish just for the eye-candy.

Aquaman #33: "What The Past Remembers": Great cover. I think this qualifies as my favorite cover since the series began, but don't quote me on that.

The interior artwork is different, guest art team? I ought to write up a page about the current Aquaman series like I suggested doing for the Wonder Woman book... "Esther is a reporter, Aquaman has the hots for her." Right, anyway. This issue is mildly better than the last few. Either I'm getting used to the quality, or it's getting better. I need a second opinion on that, so feel free to comment. So, getting back to the story, I really like what Arcudi is doing with Manta here, but I'm not at all happy with the Atlantis side of things. However, the bits and pieces are being explained... more slowly than I'd like, but at least they are being explained. I think my biggest complaint is Tempest's attack. It didn't seem terribly Tempest-like, in any form. Still, any improvement with this book is good.

-by Tegan at 7:53 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Rapid Reviews - 27 July 2005

The Tick: Days of Drama #0: "The Brewing Storm": "Marmots are nature's wolverines!" And with those words, I was sent off into the giggle storm. I'm not a huge Tick fan, but this mini-comic was oddly funny. It is a tiny comic attached to the front of #1 of the series, and it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. But, for the Tick, that's generally a good thing.

The Tick: Days of Drama #1: "Welcome to Rosebud. Population 1": Of all the mixed-up backwardness... the Tick is the only one who has figured out that something is dreadfully wrong? That's a new one, usually it's Arthur who catches on first. Sort of. Cute back-up, as well.

Amazing Spider-Man #81/522: "Moving Targets": The newspaper hits the fan, and Peter goes on a rampage. I like what he did to Wolverine. Must've taken him completely by surprise, though, to have managed it. I love the interaction between Aunt May and Jarvis. What a pair. And what a cliffhanger. This one is solid all the way through, although I'm dying to see what Stark does to fix the MJ problem.

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere #2: Richard's rude awakening is about what I expected from a Gaiman story, and I'm finding myself mostly enjoying this one. Looking forward to seeing what happens next. I guess that's a good sign.

Astro City: The Dark Age #2: "Criminal Prosecution": So Charles and Royal have a secret in their past that involves a vigilante... Which explains their reactions a bit. I'm really liking this. Busiek promised us a major story, and this one is living up to the wait, so far.

Wonder Woman #219: "Sacrifice" part 4 of 4: Ok, I read the last issue of Wonder Woman. In fact, I even reviewed it earlier today. This issue does NOT follow from that issue. And if I'm reading this right, this is part four of the annoying mind-control story started over in the Superman books. So... it was Max all along. And I think I understand the whole "rift" thing between Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman... although I'm not entirely sure where Batman comes in, except that he was apparently being his usual detective self. I guess this is all part of the set-up for the next big crossover... lovely... a crossover setting up another crossover.

The Flash #224: "Rogue War" Chapter 5: I must be worse at picking things up than I thought, because it wasn't until this issue that I realized there were two reverse Flash dudes, and even now I'm not sure who is who. At least this is different than the last few issues. Instead of the Rogues going at it, it's a whole buncha Flashes flashing around.

Outsiders #26: "Tick Tock" part one: Decent set-up, decent explanation, but I just don't see where the story is going. I should be a little more curious about it, but I'm not feeling much of anything. I guess this one qualifies as an average superhero book.

Legion of Super-Heroes #8: Well, it finally all comes out into the open. I like Brainy's methods of bringing the strife out. I still can't keep all the Legionaires straight, so it's hard to follow the story at times. Yeah, I guess I'm curious as to what is coming next, although the cliffhanger doesn't really excite me. Big deal.

JLA Classified #10: "New Maps of Hell" Part one: All three of the major DC characters, but when is this one set (Lex is still president?) and is it part of any of the annoying crossovers? I'm not much of a fan of Warren Ellis' work for some reason, but this one seems to be bucking the trend. It's ok so far. We'll just have to see if that holds true after I've read the rest of the story.

Hero Squared #1: I was more than a little surprised to get a free preview copy of this one in the mail. True, I got the X-Tra Sized Special (reviewed here) from Atomeka, but I didn't really expect it to carry over to Boom! Studios. In any case, I'd already ordered this, so I now have two copies... luckily I got different covers on each one, so maybe I'll keep both. Anyway, to the story... this is about a guy who lives in a universe with no superheroes, only comic books, who has his double from another universe enter his life... his double who happens to be a superhero. It's funny, it's got good art, and the story pulls you in. But you don't have to just take my word for it, there's a sample of some of the pages at Comic Book Resources. And I'm sure my fellow bloggers have already reviewed this one to death and back. I liked it, maybe you will too.

Oddly Normal #4: ARGHHH!!!!! Ahem. The story concludes, but we get no resolution of the tale. While I really like Oddly, and I want to read more of her adventures, I had hoped we would get a better idea what happened to her parents, and now what happened to her friend. There had better be another mini in production soon, or I'll have to hunt Otis Frampton down and find out what happened.

Beowulf #3: Intriguing, but I really need a little more meat to the story to like it. Fortunately, it appears the meat is on the way. Only problem is I've heard rumors about Speakeasy Comics, and they aren't exactly positive. If the book keeps coming out, I'll keep getting it. But I don't know that I would miss it a lot if it goes away.

-by Tegan at 9:19 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Rapid Reviews - 20 July 2005

Action #829: "End of Identity": Ok. More beating up, more mind-control stuff. At least we get to see who he beat up at the end of the story.

Incredible Hulk #84: "Terra Incognita Part 2": More House of M, more of a story I'm just not at all interested in. And I just don't get this whole Hulk vs Banner thing, either. Perhaps if I'd read more of the book, it would make more sense, but it seems a little forced and irritating to me.

Wonder Woman #218: "The Calm": This one has a bunch of members of the supporting cast that I don't know, including Lyta, who is apparently the daughter of Ares and Circe... that's quite a pair. While I could follow it, mostly, I was confused by the continuity. Is this what it's like to dip into a superhero book that you haven't been reading for ages? If so, no wonder readership is dropping. It's not that it's bad, it's just that it makes no sense to a new reader.

As an aside, I have LONG thought that comic books would be very well served by having "update" websites available. For instance: the Wonder Woman update page would have a cast list (who is Jonah? Who is Ferdinand? Who are the other folks there when Diana returns? Who is Lyta? What are the names of the Amazons we see?) and a couple of paragraphs covering the current general storyline. It would be updated the week a new issue comes out with information from the previous issue. The thing is, fans could do this, but if DC wants to get readers interested, they should have something like that available themselves on their website, so everyone would know where to look for it. Maybe as part of the on-line DC Who's Who that I think they should make. Anything that makes their titles easier for a new reader to get into ought to be something they embrace, which naturally means it will never happen.

Detective Comics #808: "City of Crime": So Robin is left to guard somebody while Batman is deep undercover? Speaking of trouble with continuity... *sigh* I don't know what's going on, and I'm not really very fond of the artwork, either. The back-up story is mildly ok. Nothing in this one really impresses me.

Conan #18: "Helm": A nice standalone tale about a helmet, possibly Conan's helmet in fact. This is not as pretty as other issues, but has its own charm. The back-up story is hilarious. All-in-all, another strong issue of a great book.

Wildguard: Fools' Gold #2: I really like Lily in this one. I think we're supposed to. It's a nicely complicated story with lots of characters that have a huge continuity... but not any that we've seen. The "reality TV" format allows Nauck to fill the reader in without breaking stride, and it's fun as well. Very solid, and it left some mysteries for later issues/minis to clear up.

Teen Titans #26: "Soul Searching": This is the wrap-up to the Lex/Superboy storyline, and a nice calm little issue featuring a trip into Superboy's mind courtesy of Raven. Not a lot there, really, but it was ok.

Plastic Man #17: "The Edwina Crisis" Prologue Part Three: This issue is a little better than the last couple of episodes, but that just isn't saying much.

JSA Classified #1: "Power Trip": Someone or something is trying to show Power Girl what she really is, and she's not the least bit interested in finding out. I wonder if this will clear up the oddities with her continuity or if we'll be left guessing at the end of it. In any case, it's certainly a worthy topic fof the first JSA Classified arc.

Day of Vengeance #4: "Monkey Business": We get the potted history of Detective Chimp, which is great, by the way. The fight between Captain Marvel and The Spectre is very interesting... with the monkey narrating the entire book improves. Now I'm just curious to find out what the power of the newcomer is. I'm actually interested in this book again!

Birds of Prey #84: "Knock-Out": I love that opening page. I've been wondering for a few issues what would happen when the truth came out. And, without skipping a beat, we're into the next story... what's going on with Oracle. But everything gets tied up in this issue, which really should have been the last issue if it weren't for the annoying crossover. Well, maybe not tied up, but certainly it all came together. I think the story went on a couple of issues too long, but the pay off was almost worth it. Now I'm curious as to what will happen with Oracle. Good cliffhanger at the end. If we could only get rid of Huntress, this book would be perfect.

Lullaby: Wisdom Seeker #4: End of the first mini, and we aren't even close to Oz yet, though we do finally meet an Oz character up close and named. The book is still moving too slowly for my tastes, but at least it's moving.

-by Tegan at 7:03 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Trying to Catch Up...

I've been reading and reviewing comics like mad trying to get a little caught up. Here's what's on my pile:

July 20th's comics (12 books)
July 27th's comics (12.1 books)
This week's comics, including, yes, the latest Aquaman (11 books)
The Annotated Wondermark
Claypool Jump-in Issues
Nothing Left To Lose
Smoke and Guns
The most recent few episodes of Entourage
Shojo Beat
Takuhai August 2005 and the first print edition

And if that weren't enough (it is!) I'm also working on my Flipping Through Previews post for August/October 2005. Whew.

Now, since you've all been so good and haven't nagged me too much, I'll try to pull together some "thoughts" for perusing while you wait for me to finish.

HeroClix Aquaman. The NEW HeroClix Aquaman. It rocks. Even if he's doing some kind of disco move there...

Kaja Foglio gets a Monster Engine.

Why do people clap? Why doesn't Yahoo get really cool and difficult to answer questions?

Mah Two Cents gives us his favorite quote from a Joss Whedon interview. I agree, that's a pretty cool quote.

Corrugated cardboard helicopter. I love Boing Boing.

Here's another Anti-Search Tote. Via TalkLeft

-by Tegan at 5:03 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

More Thinking

Phil Foglio continues his con report. As usual, make sure you check out his links, as much of the humor is in them.

There's a new Statler & Waldorf: From The Balcony up. I'm looking forward to the next one, which is going to tackle Dukes of Hazzard.

Even more on the latest Entourage, which seems to be getting a good bit of attention in the blogosphere. I really need to catch up, I wanna see the comicon one...

Boing Boing links to a layperson's intro to the Copyfight, which explains what the folks fighting against the tightening of copyright laws are trying to do.

A group in Seattle is putting up Ghost Cycles to remind drivers to share the road with bicyclists. Having been a cyclist myself, I have as big a problem with cyclists who refuse to obey traffic laws as I do with drivers who treat cyclists like obstacles.

Boing Boing also links to cool roadflares that I wouldn't mind having for a car emergency. They are, however, pretty expensive at $40-50 a pop for the most basic, toss-it-in-your-trunk version.

-by Tegan at 10:59 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Rapid Reviews - 13 July 2005

Angel: The Curse #2: Angel meets the Rom, and starts to get along with them. Unfortunately for me, there are some pieces of continuity I seem to be missing, including whatever happened with Jenny Calendar and her uncle. Eventually I will watch the whole series. But for now, a tiny bit is lost thanks to my lack of knowledge. Still, very promising.

Hero Camp #3: "Don't Fear The Reaper": When the goat-dude gets hunted by El Chubacabra, Eric and another hero help him out. This concept is done better and funnier by PS238.

Batman Strikes! #11: "Man of Service": A somewhat disjointed story about Alfred and the Penguin and some umbrellas. I'm reminded again of why I'm inclined to drop this book.

Seven Soldiers: Guardian #3: "Siege At Century Hollow": While the idea of a model that reduces world statistics to 100 representatives is interesting... having robots play the roles and opening the place up as a theme park is an even more interesting idea. Leave it to Morrison to pull something like this out of the hat. The return of the Newsboy Legion was also strange and interesting... but the cliffhanger really made this issue. I think I sat up and said, "Now we're getting somewhere."

Rann/Thanagar War #3: "Planetfall": I just can't keep all the planets involved in this mess straight. Add in the mystical bad guy dude who is battling Kyle Lantern and this is just too confusing to follow. Three more issues of this mess. I'm not sure I'll bother to read the rest. I wonder why I ordered them.

JLA #116: "Crisis of Conscience part two": So the whole Identity Crisis thing finally comes to a head with the Justice League confronting Batman. I think this one works for me... It just seems to be better thought out than most Crossovers.

Green Arrow #52: "Identity Crisis... Again": Speaking of Identity Crisis, this one clearly happens before the JLA issue. Someone knows GA's identity and he reacts the way Green Arrow would react. Not bad.

Brontes Infernal Angria #1: "The Great Escape": This comic book reminds of Narnia and Oz, with a historical bent. Geary's artwork is strange and appropriate for this book. I'm very curious to see how this one goes.

Yeah, only two more weeks to read and review, and then I'm caught up! Huh? What's that? New comics tomorrow? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

-by Tegan at 10:26 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Rapid Reviews - 7 July 2005

Shanna the She Devil #6: "The Killing Season Part Six": Sheesh. Just get back to the camp already!!! Ug. More dinosaurs, more pretty drawings of Shanna. But story? What story? Anybody seen a missing story around here somewhere?

Incredible Hulk #83: "Terra Incognita Part 1": A House of M crossover tie-in title. I'm not getting House of M, and I'm not interested in getting House of M. And this odd continuity doesn't float my boat. It's not a horrible story, but I have no interest in it.

Villains United #3: "Privileged To Spill Her Blood": Nasty nasty nasty. The er, good villains are tortured by the um, bad villains. And that's pretty much what this issue is about, for the most part. Now, while I can see the ... good... villains escaping, what're they supposed to do next with every other bad guy in the DCU hunting them? This book just doesn't make much sense.

Wildguard: Fools' Gold #1: Nice set-up. We're getting more character interaction while not stinting on the action. I'm wondering where Shonda's relationship with Snapback is going, for one thing. But then finding the heart of the mystery in this one was also fun. This is a nice solid superhero book.

JSA #75: "Black Vengeance Conclusion": So this is the story of Al Rothstein, Atom Smasher. This may well be the only Day of Vengeance tie in that I really like, because it ties up the issue of who and what Al is. Maybe. Hard to tell. Eh, it wasn't bad.

DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy #2: "Stark Contrast": I really have no idea what is going on in this issue. Some other Titans sitting around getting alarmed while the DCU Titans go hunting for Donna. Ug. Pretty artwork, but the story is just a bit on the weak and confusing side.

Usagi Yojimbo #85: "The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains" Chapter Three: Wow. This adventure is starting to heat up quite a bit. The cliff-hanger of this one is truly a shocker. And the development that pulls another character we met in the past into the story is very well done. I'm liking this story much more now, and I'm finding myself a little impatient to see the next issue.

Superman #219: "Touch": So it's another "Superman is being controlled" storyline, is it? Bor-ing. How many issues will it take before we find out who he beat up, anyway?

Justice League Unlimited #11: "Postcard From The Edge": It's kind of sad when I'm enjoying the animated version of Aquaman a bit more than the regular version from his own title, but this is a case of the animated Aquaman being more interesting and being part of a better story. While this is very much Stargirl's tale, Aquaman plays a major and an interesting part of it. In short, I really like this story.

Aquaman #32: "The Shade of Things To Come": Why? Why has this book become so unreadable in just a few short months?

Ok, looking at this as objectively as I can... the colorist needs to be told that when a character is making a point about his skin being darker than everyone else's, then he really should have skin that is visibly darker than everyone else's, not skin that is almost the same shade. The artwork is still fantastic, but the story needs another edit. I don't buy the whole Progene garbage. It's silly. And shoehorning Manta into the tale (with an earring??!??) also seems a bit much. I have to admit that the backstory as to why he's getting involved is better than we've seen in the past, though. And Koryak... *sigh*. I want to like this, but I've seen precious little to enjoy.

-by Tegan at 8:22 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Eh, Thoughts

Ouch. Mariners' pitcher banned for steroid use. In the article, Ryan Franklin says that he's never knowingly taken steroids, but did take a nutritional supplement which he implies is the source of the positive test results.

A new blog is created every second. What the article doesn't say is how many of them are abandoned after their creators realize that posting stuff to a blog can take some effort. Ahem. Anyway, what this news tells me is that people want to be heard, even if it's only a few friends reading. A blog is a way to connect without intruding.

The latest episode of Entourage apparently involves the San Diego Comicon, the internet, and more pathos from a failed romance. I really need to catch up on these.

This is absolutely cool. It's a Google Maps Pedometer. You find the location you intend to walk around at, hit the start recording button, then double-click on spots to make lines. The total distance of your trip will show up in the sidebar. I've already checked some of my training walks from the 3-Day and found that I usually under-counted the distances.. which means I often walked farther than I thought I had. Via Jim Henley.

Mystic-Debunker Randi has put his Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural on-line for free. According to Boing Boing, he did it in part to help drive sales of the paper version.

Another preview image from Dorothy. The way I promote this comic, you'd almost think I was involved in making it (I'm not, I just like it).

-by Tegan at 5:32 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Monday, August 01, 2005

Rapid Reviews - 29 June 2005 - Part II

JLA Classified #9: "Lo! There Shall Come An Ending": The Giffen fun-league finally finishes up with some touching moments and some absolutely freaky moments, especially when you take into account what's going to happen to Sue in the future. Again, if you liked the Giffen era Justice League, get this. If you didn't, avoid this.

Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #3: "The Perfect Knight Returns": Yay! I can tell that Sir Justin is a guy in this issue! But that's one of the few good things, as much of this issue is a big infodump during a police interview. The artwork is intriguing, but it doesn't always show enough detail to figure out what is happening in the non-interview bits. Either my eyes are going out, or we have another case of weak storytelling in the art. Maybe if I was willing to re-read it a few times I would figure it out. Not horrible, but not great.

Outsiders #25: "The Insiders Part Four": The Indigo/Shift thing isn't too bad, but the rest of it leaves me cold. Superboy's sudden change doesn't strike me as realistic even for a comic book, and this whole Donna Troy thing is just annoying.

Green Lantern #2: "No Fear": I wish I could connect with this book. The art is ok, I'm interested in the main character... but I just can't seem to really enjoy it. It's like I'm reading it because I have to, not because I want to. And yet I'm getting it because I like the characters. It's just not grabbing me.

Licensable Bear #2: I really didn't intend to get the second issue of this, but hubby-Eric was interested, and I found myself intrigued enough. It's funny. Licensable Bear goes to a trade show and finds lots of tales to tell... not to mention some unexpected help.

Solo #5: Darwyn Cooke: "You seem able-bodied -- Get your butt on a transport, pick up a gun, and do your part if you think it's worth dying over. If -- if you survive your tour -- Well, then you'll have the right to discuss which casualties are acceptable. 'Til then, shut your nasty trap." These volumes just get better and better. This one had some amusing Aquaman bits (and I like the way Cooke draws Aquaman), and lots and lots and lots of Slam Bradley. Recommended. Highly recommended.

Wonder Woman #217: "The Bronze Doors: Conclusion": So... I can't say I really understand what just happened, but it looked pretty good. Diana finishes her quest, but it's the rewards I don't get. I suppose if I'd been reading this for a year I might understand. Oh well. It's not bad. Just too wrapped in continuity.

The Flash #223: "Rogue War Chapter 4": Is this story actually moving forward at all? I mean, at the end of last issue the Rogue's were at war. At the end of this issue? Same. There are good bits and scenes, but the whole seems to be mostly unnecessary filler. I just want to know what happens next, but nothing seems to be really happening. It's like a big involved D&D campaign in which you are so busy placing your characters that you never have time for the story.

-by Tegan at 8:45 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Day Tripping

I just got back from my little day trip, and have updated my Travels With The Troll page to add the pictures I took on my little trip. You can read about all my adventures there, as well.

The short story is that I went up to a ranch in Eastern Washington to visit my sister at camp, then drove up to Roslyn then down to Snoqualmie Falls, then home again.

-by Tegan at 7:00 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Couple of Thoughts...

Neil Gaiman points out that Terry Pratchett wasn't attacking JK Rowling, he was attacking stupid reporters writing poorly researched articles.

Logan is linkblogging.

I'm off on a day trip, and may not get back until late. This may be the only post for today.

-by Tegan at 7:17 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Sunday, July 31, 2005

Harry Potter's Birthday, and Some Drawing Thing...

Today is Harry's birthday, and also JK Rowling's. Eric has finished reading the book, which is a great relief, since I now have someone close to discuss it with.

I'm also pulling together all the bits for the 3-Day drawing. I suspect I'll do the actual drawing sometime later this week (sorry for the delay, but I'm not really recovered from the Walk yet).

-by Tegan at 10:44 AM Seattle time - Permalink

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