Aquaman.
Neilalien also has a nice long essay on the fact that comic books other than superheroes exist and are good.
The Emerald City Comicon has added a few new guests.
I found DC for February here, a couple of days ahead of the release date. Hrm.
New Cybermen in Doctor Who.
Johnny B went 14-0 last week on his NFL predictions, here's this week's.
Installing one trojan wasn't enough for Sony, they also installed a second piece of malware on "customers"' machines. I'm not buying anything from Sony anymore.
Awwwww.... bye-bye bunnies.
Political crap: Bill O'Reilly should be fired. The "Christian" Right on preventable disease. Torture doesn't work. Nov 2005 Election Observer Account. Nearly dead in Iraq.
-by Tegan at 4:56 PM Seattle time - Permalink
Sunset City from AiT/Planet Lar: I'd already seen a few reviews for this one before I got a copy to read, so I had a little idea, I thought, of what to expect. But I was wrong. This isn't a standard comic book by any stretch, and the ending is both unexpected and thought provoking. In fact, after reading the book I had to sit back and really try to decide if I could accept that as an ending or not. I'm still not sure, and I really doubt I'll ever be sure. What really gets me about this book is the contrasts. The deaths that Frank is witness to, living in a place where people go to die... deaths that are both natural and by violence. And yet, this is very much a story about life, somehow. I still don't quite know what to make of it. My best advice is that you go out and grab a copy to read for yourself. Then you, too, can go "hmmmm" about it. 
Zombie Tales: Oblivion from Boom! Studios: This is basically the second issue of the Zombie Tales book that I reviewed a few months ago, and it's surprisingly good. I don't like zombie stories, and I'm not much a fan of horror at all. But this was pretty good. Gross, but good. 
-by Tegan at 10:17 PM Seattle time - Permalink
Via Collective Sigh."I never thought much about the meaning of Veterans Day -- strange for someone who spent 26 years in the Army. But last year I got it: Memorial Day is to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and Veterans Day is to honor those who have to live with the sacrifices they made."
- Kevin Vargas, Letter to the Editor, Washington Post, Nov. 11, 2005
-by Tegan at 2:34 PM Seattle time - Permalink
Happy birthday to Neil Gaiman!
The Beat on the Aquaman series rumors. More in this one, including the news that Aquaman is supposed to be kept out of Justice League Unlimited.
Comic Book Wife on comic book creators and... Neil Gaiman!
Polite Dissent explains why getting medicine through spam offers is a really really bad idea.
Aaron Williams has some good links again. The Scale graphic of the Solar System is great.
Pal Dorian has spoilers for Infinite Crisis #2 that blogger will want to read.
-by Tegan at 11:06 PM Seattle time - Permalink
Once again, I'm having trouble reviewing. Still, I've got lots of things to look forward to, including finding out how I've been Tuckerized by Jeff Parker. I've also got two review copies I really want to review, because I enjoyed them both. So here's some reviews of last week's books:
Spider-Man Unlimited #12: The only reason I got this book was for Tom Beland's story. The first one was ok, and a bit funny, but nothing wonderful. The second story, Beland's story, was great. One of Peter's students loses his parents, and Peter has just the solution. This one is touching and powerful, and if you consider Beland's own personal history, it becomes even more so. Definitely worth it.
Outsiders #30: "All Hell Breaks Loose": I can see why this book has had to be bagged with a warning in some shops. It's been that way any time big nasty demon-type guys appear. I can't say I really liked this one. It's not great. It's not horrible either. At least, I didn't think so. 
JSA #79: "Lost & Found part Two of Three": Jakeem is nasty nasty nasty. I'm not sure how he got that way from where he was before. In fact, I can't remember when he vanished from the JSA because it happened so long ago realtime. But this storyline definitely has potential. 
Superman #223: "Stones": I don't know much about Supergirl, and I don't know much at all about what's been happening with her in the DCU, but this was an ok story even for someone feeling clueless. And, of course, it ties in with the big crossover.
Detective Comics #813: "City of Crime Part 11: A Place of Fear": Wizard of Oz reference in this one. I have no clue what "The Body" is, but apparently the two storylines are finally coming together in there. I'm sure this whole story would read much better in one big chunk... like say in the inevitable collection, than in monthly installments.
Justice League Unlimited #15: "Urban Legend": Vibe. They brought in Vibe. The animated DCU is definitely different from the regular DCU. The folks there don't even know how that the plural of "el lobo" is "los lobos" not "el lobos". And Vibe is actually... well... effective. Um. I think I need to go rest now.
-by Tegan at 6:38 PM Seattle time - Permalink
What he says. Companies can yell "we're in great shape!" all they want, but we've all heard that before. What they actually do is what matters.
Bunny Suicides. I think I've seen this before... maybe even linked to it.
Lead singer buys leaked CD on eBay in order to punish the person who leaked it.
Speaking of CDs, here's a list of CDs that Sony produced that are known to be infected with a virus that masks itself on your computer in a clumsy attempt to prevent piracy. If you value your computer, you won't buy any Sony CDs. At the very least, you'll turn off autoplay. More about the problem here.
A voting machine refuses to let the governor of California vote. While there was a reason behind this incident, machines in the Virginia election reportedly wouldn't let some voters cast ballots for the Democrat. If you vote on a machine, you are throwing your vote away. Until voting machines have human-readable paper trails, they are worthless.
I guess the voters of Washington aren't all morons, after all. The absentee ballots still need to be counted, but they usually trend toward King County totals, and King County overwhelmingly voted against the really stupid initiative.
As for the anti-smoking initiative, I'm surprised that every single county voted for it. I still have issues with it, and I suspect it won't always be enforced completely... or it will be successfully challenged in court... but I'm still amazed at how it passed.
-by Tegan at 9:09 AM Seattle time - Permalink
Shane is linkblogging again.
Dark Horse for February.
Check out this excellent essay by Ian Brill about the nature of comics. There is much more to comic books than superheroes. And yet, it ok to enjoy the superheroes too. On a tangent, I've never understood people who think you should enjoy either Star Wars or Star Trek, and if you like one you can't like the other. Why should fans be so limited? Indeed, why do comic book fans tend to limit themselves and allow others to limit them? Comic books are a medium, NOT a genre.
Brian Wood updates us on the shipping status of Local #1. It will be in stores November 16th.
Eric Shanower will be speaking about the Trojan War at the University of Cinncinati on November 16, at 7 pm. I really wish I could go see that. I love Age of Bronze.
Back when I met the Penny Arcade guys, they were talking about a storyline they had in the works for ... something. It's now in the strip, the Elemenstor and his ambulatory dresser.
Congrats to Johnny B, whose NFL predictions this last weekend appear to have been very good.
Treating moviegoers as criminals, is it good business? I know that I can hardly stand to go to movies anymore because of the endless ads before the movie, but if someone tried to confiscate my phone, I'd probably never go back (especially since my phone doesn't have a camera and I always turn it off before the movie).
Congrats to Tom Peyer for a year of blogging.
Play RISK using Google Maps.
King Kong Trailer.
I was surprised to learn that some folks didn't realize that pirates still exist, and are a major danger for shipping crews.
History's worst computer bugs, including two that were lethal.
Huh, this is an odd case put before the Supreme Court.
Speaking of odd stories, this case, about a boy who found his biological father (who was an anonymous sperm donor) using the internet is a fascinating little tale.
Anti-Teenager device. I suspect it would bother me, too, as I can often hear high pitched sounds that other people can't hear.
The Vatican rejects "Intelligent Design". Of course, in Kansas, science isn't even science anymore. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is very angry with Kansas now.
A man too drunk to drive is hit by a car and killed while walking home. Oddly enough, this story proves that smoking will kill you.
One person can make a difference, but it would have been nice for this man if the government had done their job ahead of time, instead of waiting until his son died from their incompetence.
Ok... I recommend you read this, but take it with a small grain of salt. If it is true, and I'm not saying it is, but if it is true, then there is no way the US will ever "win" in Iraq. Period. End of story. We cannot win if the Iraqis associate us with their mortal enemies.
For my own information: Washington State Election Results 2005 and King County Election Results 2005.
-by Tegan at 9:37 PM Seattle time - Permalink
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. Wow. If I ever had any urge to read Body Bages, that cover killed it. Ugly as sin. The Sgt Rock cover is ok, nothing special.
Moving on, let's hit the Splash Page (8-9). Nothing of interest... Except maybe the Marvel Decimation. Promises, promises. But that's it.
The "Try Something New" (12-13) checklist is a good idea. There isn't a lot of books there that appeal to me, but there are some gems in the rough. I like how each entry refers the reader to the page number of the item for more information. Anyway, go look at it if you want some new books to look at.
Skipping past the "Premier Comics", we'll stop at Wizard (184-190). I had to pause on the "Alex Ross" bit on page 187 because of Manta's appearance. The clever idea for Heroclix on page 188 amused me. MuppetClix! I'd buy 'em.
Into "Featured Items" (192-195). While part of me wishes I'd waited to buy Angel: The Curse as a trade, but part of me is very happy I bought individual issues. Nothing else jumps out at me. So into the regular listings we go, tra-la-la.
A Fine Line Press (198) has a look at the Desert Peach's entire life in Desert Peach: Bread & Swans.
Next up is AiT/Planet Lar (205-207) who are offering a collection of 3 graphic novels by Charlie Adlard. I've read White Death and Codeflesh and generally enjoyed them, but I haven't tried Nobody, so I can't say anything about that. Except that the others were good, so it probably is as well. White Death was, if you'll excuse the expression, particularly chilling. Also offered again this month is Astronauts in Trouble: Live From The Moon which was a fun story.
Alias (207-210) no longer has multiple ad pages, which is interesting. They also seem to have raised their prices. Hrm. Ler's see... we'll get Lullaby, and that appears to be it.
Next publisher of interest to us is Antarctic Press (214-217) for the much anticipated final issue of Oz: The Manga.
Moving along... Bongo Comics is next with Futurama Comics #23 and Simpsons Classics #7.
Boom! Studios (232) regals us with the "Justice League" of Captain Valor from Hero Squared in Planetary Brigade. As much as I enjoyed Hero Squared, I'm not sure I'll be getting this. It does look fun, though.
There's a bit of a drought after that, until we get to IDW Publishing (279-285) there then we run into a couple of books. First is Fallen Angel #2, which we'll probably get. And then there is Angel: Old Friends #3. Yeah, we'll probably get that too. Then there's Spike: Old Wounds, a one-shot that I'm not sure about. I like Spike. But I'm not sure I'll get it.
Mr Comics (292-293) has a free Planet of the Apes story on their website. And from the quality of that tale, I'm tempted to buy the regular book, which is by Ty Templeton. Definitely a tempting book.
Also on the list is Oni Press (298-301) with the next issue of Local.
Rosen Publishing Group (303) is making me drool again with a new series on Myths. All of them look good, particularly the African Myths. I really wouldn't mind getting these books from Rosen.
Speakeasy Comics (305-313) has a ton of books. Not one of which we will be getting.
Ah, for once I have something to say about Tokyopop (315-336). The book in question is Sorcerers & Secretaries Vol 1, which I have enjoyed a lot in the on-line previews. It's on my wishlist now, and might possibly sneak its way onto the order. We'll see.
Wow, two manga publishers in a row being discussed here... Viz Comics (345-353) also has some books of interest. First up: Hikaru No Go vol 6. Ok, so I still have to get volumes 4 & 5, but I will get this book eventually. From Shojo Beat, I've been enjoying Absolute Boyfriend about a girl who accidently orders an android boyfriend. Volume 1 is in this issue of Previews. If you like cute and sweet stories that make you cry, Baby & Me is for you. I like it, but I probably won't get the collection.
And lastly, Zenescope (354) has another issue of Grimm Fairy Tales. I got to read the first issue, and although it was a bit adult in flavor, it really was pretty good. Each issue is standalone, so if you are tempted then you just pick the one you feel most like reading. They've done Red Riding Hood (issue #1), Cinderalla (issue #2), and Hansel & Gretel (issue #3). Issue #4 features Rumplestiltskin.
And that concludes the regular comic book section... whew... and off into the back of the book I go. And flip... flip... flip... nothing. Nada. I don't feel like mentioning anything.
And that gets us through the comics and extras and sends us back to the front of the book to tackle the big four, and thus the bulk of our comic book order...
Dark Horse (17-53) has a new Star Wars book, Knights of the Old Republic set four thousand years before the Rise of the Empire. I don't know how interested I am, but it's something. I'll certainly get Conan #24, Conan and the Demons of Khitai #4, and Usagi Yojimbo. I thought Samurai Executioner was done, but there's one final volume.
Image Comics (131-173) has Noble Causes #18 and Stardust Kid #4.
Marvel Comics (176) the big Spidey crossover is still going on, so no Spidey books. Looks like Powers #17 is it.
And so we reach the company that will be getting most of my money. DC Comics.
Batman (59-66): Nothing I'll be getting for myself.
Superman (67-70): Hey, Livewire is showing up in Action Comics #835! This oughta be interesting. But I won't be getting any of the Superman books for myself.
DC Universe (71-94): We'll start with Infinite Crisis #4 and Aquaman #38. I'm just so bored with the crossover, and it hasn't really gotten going yet. Birds of Prey #90... I can't believe it's up to 90 already. I'm not sure we'll get the Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special, though I'm leaning toward getting it. Hubby-Eric wants Green Lantern #8 and Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #5. I'm not sure Green Arrow #58 will make the list, because I've been meaning to drop this book for awhile and this might be the issue we drop it on.
Other probables are JLA #124, JSA #81, JLA Classified: Cold Steel #2, JSA Classified #7, JLA Classified #16, Legion of Super-Heroes #14. We might also get Outsiders #32, but I'm not certain about that.
Johnny DC/DC Library/CMX (95-105): Justice League Unlimited #17 has the Freedom Fighters show up! That could be fun.
Wildstorm (106-113): Nothing I'll be getting for myself.
Vertigo (114-124): Another month, another issue... Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere #6
DC Direct (125-130): Nothing I'll be getting for myself.
And there it is... all of Previews. I'm finally all the way through. Huzzah. 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.
Note: I've posted a mostly Oz-focused version of this at The Wonderful Blog of Oz.
Previous Flipping Through Previews:
-by Tegan at 1:59 PM Seattle time - Permalink
I haven't blogged yet today because I'm absolutely miserable. I'm just having a bad day. I've got my Previews review almost ready to post, and I've got a few reviews almost ready. But those are going to wait to be finished tomorrow, when I hopefully feel better. This is it for today.
-by Tegan at 9:27 PM Seattle time - Permalink
