Girls Don't Read Comics

Episode 20 : Knowing is half the battle

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:02:00 +0000

Wow, episode 20. I feel like I should bake a cake or something. I am working on some site stuff, so if you come back soon and things are broken, don't worry. It will be better soon.

This week, I mostly talk about Brian K Vaughan's Ex Machina.

I found this to be really cool. Sort of in a long haul way. I had been reading Secret Wars, and not really getting into it, so I picked this up and time just passed. It didn't blow my mind, or change my worldview, but it is, so far anyway, a cool story with solid, expressive artwork. The characters are all people I want to know more about, and the way they are drawn gives them a unique life. At the back of the book Tony Harris does a little "how to" and shows the basics of the process. I thought the filmic way he does his mock-ups was really cool. At the end of the first volume, I wanted more. I actually picked up the Deluxe Hardcover, so take that as a sign that I am ready to invest. The second Deluxe Hardcover is due out this winter, so expect a revisit when I have more of this series under my belt.

Like I said, I'm working on Secret Wars. This is a heck of a book (not really in a good way.) It is so weird and blatantly a commercial for toys that it's kind of hard to just read. I will keep trying to work my way through it though, if only to read about Spider-man's Alien Suit origin. Man though. I find that I just want to read something more interesting. If I can actually get through it, and have a different opinion on completing it, I'll let you know.

Lastly, I went and saw GI Joe. I am almost afraid to say that I had a good time. It wasn't the best thing ever, but it was fun. I am so spiffed that Heavy Duty was so important. I love that actor, and I was excited when I saw him on the cast list. I also really want to be Scarlet when I grow up. Or at least I want a crossbow. That thing was awesome, if totally cheeseball. So yeah, I guess you could say I liked it. So far, most of my customers have not. A couple of guys are actively mad that this movie ruined their child hood, or at least their favorite character. What do you guys think? Love or hate?

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

Not at SDCC

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Well everyone, It's time for SDCC. It would be so awesome if I could be there, interviewing creators and readers, talking comics with some alpha nerds. Eating good sushi. But it is not meant to be. I'll just have to live vicariously through all the people who's blogs and websites I follow.

If any of you guys go, drop me a report. Or get Gail Simone to sign something to me or something.

Anyway, The Books!

Madame Xanadu Vol 01 Disenchanted
Written by Matt Wagner, Pencils by Amy Reeder Hadley

This title is Nominated for 4 Eisners this year, and I really think it has a good chance. I loved the story, but for me, this book's big deal is the art. Amy Reeder Hadley's previous manga style blends beautifully into a rich more western look. Little things from the attention to detail on Madame Xanadu's jewelry, to the different emotions seen on the people's faces in the mob at the beheading of Marie Antionette, give this piece an extra layer of depth. This book is one of my new favorites, and I'm going to be putting it into as many hands as possible. As soon as I get it back in stock.

Dresden Files Storm Front Vol 01
Story by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers
Art by Adian Syaf

I had a lot of fun with this. Having read the novel, I already had a good idea what I thought this story looked like. Jim Butcher writes in a very visually descriptive manner, so seeing it translated to page this way is really cool. I feel like they got the important details of the story in with visual storytelling, avoiding the common pitfall in bad novel adaptations of having tons of text explaining the significance of things. I am looking forward to more of this.

Yokai Doctor Vol 01
by Yuki Sato

This really feels like a ground laying first book. They tell the initial adventure twice, from the different perspectives of the 2 main characters, and it doesn't feel like it goes very deep. That said, what is here is a fun, light story with pretty artwork. I would be willing to keep reading to see if it gets more involved, but without a little more going on in the story, this is not a must for me.

This will be a weekend of comics news, and I will be watching the blogs like crazy. People are promising big announcements, Warren Ellis is in town, and I am far away. At least I get to work in the garden.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

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Happy Birfday Grammar Cowboy!!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Hey all

I just wanted to let everyone know that esteemed and Eisner Nominated comics c0-creater Eric Anderson is just a little bit older today. If you have a chance go over to PX! and hit up his tag board. And if you haven't read PX!, spend some time and flip through the archives.

Mr Anderson is the one on the left. With the big knife. And the gun. And the grenades.

Called out

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Hey all. So in this week's newsletter from The Comic Book Shop, my boss gives me crap for not updating my podcast. Fortunately I cave easily to guilt, so here we are.

I am doing another minicast tonight. I think it's very likely that I will be doing these on a weeknight from here on out, I just need to figure out how to get all my ducks in a row. so to speak.

Any way...

Welcome to Hoxford - Story and art by Ben Templesmith.

I rather like this dark, blood drenched, prison romp. Not for younger readers, unless you want to have to explain necrophilia and cannibalism to your youngling. Gorgeous art and great creepy story.

Dynamo5 - Story by Jay Faerber, Art by Mahmud Asrar

Great superhero team book. The more I think about it, the more it feels like a chick book. The leader is a woman, one of the big villains is a woman, and the men are really beefcakey. I also love that the artist gives all of the characters unique bodies, even the women. No "same body, different hair-do".

Ok, That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is going to be an especially fun New Comics Day. Every one needs to go to their comic book shop (or mine) and get a Wednesday Comics from DC. I have been looking forward to this thing like crazy. There's also a new Unwritten, and the beginning of the Green Lantern cross Blackest Night. So much nerdy coolness!

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Creepy goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:58:00 +0000

I have functional equipment, and I have read some really great books.

First up is Bayou by Jeremy Love with colors by Patrick Morgan

This came out a couple of weeks ago, and I totally fell in love with it. Unfortunately, (for me) I sold it before I could finish reading it. This is one I have to have in my personal collection. I just need to get it back in stock so I can buy it. Dark and beautiful, and not really for little kids, this would make a good title for teens and grown-ups. Click the image for Bayou's Zuda page to read it online.

Next up is Vertigo's House of Mystery Vol 2

You guys may remember my love for the 1st volume in this series, and my passion continues unabated. This title is so much fun, and so creepy that I read it in one sitting and I can hear it calling to me from the next room for re-reading. I especially love that they are starting to reference Cain and Abel in this new series and the when Abel walks back in to the book, it's like he has just been hanging out (at the House of Secrets?) and waiting. Sturges and company nail him perfectly, continuing to let this book settle into it's roots.

I have lots more on my shelf, and right at the top right now are Planetary and Dynamo 5, so expect to hear on those coming up.

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Or click here to listen to it now.

Audio Not Happening

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:47:00 +0000

Argh

After twiddling with my audio interface for far too long tonight, I am resigned that the audio gods just don't want me to record tonight. So instead, lets see some Free Comic Book Day pictures. You know you want to.

First, I arrived early to set up the table. These are the nice folks waiting at the gate for me to open. No, they aren't zombies. Why would you even think that?

After I opened the gate, fun was had by all. I had 150 foam wolverine claws that I gave away in the first 30 mins or so, and we had a steady stream of folks for most of the day. Then at 3pm, the 501st arrived, and with them came Batgirl, lady Robin and Gambit. Here's me and my crew with our honored guests.

Lord Vader and the Tusken Raider did a bit of shopping

And then I put them to work for a little bit.

This one's my favorite though:

Thanks again to all involved for making this years FCBD so much fun.

That said....

Ok, I think I have had time to process the Wolverine movie.

I think that over all it was not that bad. In fact, some of it was pretty good, in a "let the movies be their own thing" kind of way. I liked Lumberjack Wolverine and his relationship with Kayla Silverfox. I really liked the X-Team stuff with Wade and Fred and Wraith. Then they went and messed with Deadpool. I felt like an angry 13 year old kid during much of the final act as my current favorite character was turned into sort of an ugly joke. So tonight I want to talk about the awesome Deadpool that I love so much.

If you are new to the character, I think you should begin with Cable and Deadpool.

By the time this series began, Wade had settled into his role as The Merc With The Mouth, and all of his special peculiarities were comfortable and worn in. His 4th wall breaking, his love of Bea Arthur, his habit of talking to himself via his monologue boxes. This was a series I binged on. I think I read all 7 books (before Deadpool Vs the Marvel Universe was out) in 2 days. 100% total awesome.

I am currently reading the Deadpool Classics books, and I am halfway through book 2.

It's a lot of fun, especially the stuff I am reading now, but I'm glad that the Deadpool Classics Vol 01 was not the first thing I picked up. It took a while for him to develop his patter and his quirks. Even his speech bubbles start out with red outlines, instead of the yellow fill that I have come to be comfortable with. Like many things, Deadpool improved with age and experience.

I still need to read that new Deadpool Secret Invasion hard cover, but whenever I have time to read, it's sold out. I have a couple on order though, so maybe next week.

Man, I'm out of practice with these things. I better call it a night. We'll talk again this weekend.

Podcast Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Oh wow, but Free Comic Book Day was fun this year. We had a crazy day and I got some great pictures on my boss's fancy camera. I will post some of them up here as soon as I can. Special Thanks to the guys from the 501st. Watching a small child attempt to force choke Lord Vader is a sight I will never forget.

My friends and I also went and saw Wolverine today. Boy. I need to process this. And go sit my loaner copy of Deadpool Classics and cry.

We'll talk more tomorrow

Site Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Morning!

It's Early O'Clock and I am writing to update you guys on a sad site change. I got an email from Rachel Nabors, the nice lady that runs Rubifruit, the link exchange I have been a part of for so long. She will be shutting it down in a few days so this morning I am removing the ads from the site. I wish her all the best. I really liked what Rubifruit was all about, and I was glad to be a part of it in what little way I could.

She also has a big surgery coming up, so if you feel like throwing a couple of bucks her way, I'd be very grateful.

As for myself, I am feeling much better after very likely accidentally poisoning myself on Sunday morning. My husband and were doing some yard work and I think I got dosed with some Round-Up. Either that or I had a nasty and sudden case of the flu. I'm doing a whole lot better today though. I might even pack a real lunch!

Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday! Make sure you get to your Local Comic Book Shop for your free comics. I personally am very excited about Resurrection from Oni Press.

You can find a preview of it here. You can also find a full listing of the offered comics at freecomicbookday.com. If you need help finding you local shop, or if you want to make a day of it and hit all the ones in your area, you can get a list of participating stores in your area Here.

Also, we have a special treat at my store this year. I will be hosting some folks from the 501st Legion from 3pm till 5pm. I don't know who all will be able to make it, but I am really hoping that Lord Vader will be able to make an appearance.

Hope to see everyone there!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Yay!

I found the box with all the cables in it, and when I plugged everything in, it worked. It's the little things in life that make me happy. This week I just have a little burst of a podcast for you, in which I ramble about the Watchmen movie(I know it's a little late, but what can you do?) and I recommend very highly the book Air from Vertigo

This book is written by G. Willow Wilson and the art is all by M.K. Perker. While I was reading this on a slow morning at the store, I kept thinking to myself, "this is so odd!" but as I continued on, I began to really enjoy the strange journey that this book takes. The art is very clear and accessible, and I really found myself rooting for main character Blythe as she goes on her quest to save her imprisoned love/possible terrorist. This series is also part of Vertigo's $1 issue experiment, releasing issue #7 for $1 at the same time as the trade. I love this idea, and I was really happy when someone picked up the copy that my store got as an impulse buy. In a sea of $4 comics, a dollar is practically free. Anything that gets people reading makes me happy.

I have a nice deep stack of books that I'm going to try to read this coming week. Right now I am in the middle of Deadpool Classic Vol 01 and my first impression is that it's really interesting to observe the evolution of a character. I should have more on this title next week.

Oh, and not that it really matters, but my husband sat next to Greg Rucka on the plane last week. I am so jealous I could explode. My husband doesn't follow DC that much, so he didn't know that I am super exited about the upcoming run of Detective starring Bat-Woman and with a backup featuring Renee Montoya. They had a nice discussion about the publishing industry, and my husband says that Mr. Rucka was a really nice guy. So there you go.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

The Return!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Yay! I'm still alive and everything.

Last time I was here, I told you all about the big scary badness of buying a bank-owned home. I am happy to say, that now that it is done, I am pretty spiffed. There was a lot of work to be done to make the house so we could stand it, but it was pretty much all just paint and elbow grease. For example, yesterday we were doing some yard work in the sunshine, and I found out that underneath the rotting pile of grass clippings in the back yard was a garbage bag full of kitchen garbage. Like salad dressing bottles and meat wrappers. Whee!

This morning I finished painting my office (GDRC Central, don't you know !) and tonight I will get my recording gear all unpacked and set up. That means podcasts again soon. I have been reading as much as I can in whatever downtime I have had, and I have some cool stuff in my pile. And we haven't even talked about the Watchmen movie at all! Gah, It's like a whole lifetime has gone by while my gear has been in boxes.

Also my husband (who manages all our hosting) says he's sorry for nuking my site a couple of weeks ago. We switched hosting providers, and he forgot to migrate GDRC along with PX! and his portfolio site. (if you need any 3D work or compositing, he has some openings in his schedule later in the year.)

I will try and upload some pics of my new space once I'm set up. Thank you so much for all your patience and words of encouragement.

AV

Episode 15

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:11:00 +0000

I have discovered something deep and meaningful. I think I could have gone my entire life and not known this, had things been just a little bit different. Here is my wisdom distilled for you, in a single, easy sentence:

Buying a bank-owned home sucks with the fury of a thousand black holes.

There. If you can avoid this simple thing, life can be wine and roses everyday. That's what I keep telling myself. It's not the house. As far as we are able to tell so far, the house is great. It needs a little work, but that's no surprise. The problem is that the bank that owns it doesn't seem to want to, you know, sell it.

So wish me luck, and enjoy Episode 15, wherein I go on and on about how much I like Neil Gaiman.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

More than I can chew

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:44:00 +0000

As I mentioned last week, it is my intention for my next podcast to be a spotlight on Neil Gaiman. Since I own an awful lot of his work and love almost all of it, I thought it would be an easy one to knock out, no problem. Well, now as I sit and try to assemble all of this stuff coherently and do it justice, I see how big an undertaking it really is.

In order to do it right, I'm going to give myself another week. Just to give you an idea of what I am dealing with, I went to pull out all my books that he worked on, either as a writer or editor. The stack comes up past my knee without adding in my absolutes or any of the Marvel stuff. Wow.

So next week, there will be podcasty goodness.

If you want to read or listen to me go on about how much I love Neil Gaiman's work you can check out:
Episode 1
Episode 4
Episode 5

Also, in a personal note:

My husband and I get to go to a home inspection on Monday. If all goes well, GDRC Headquarters will get to move soon to a new space where I don't have to turn off the refrigerator to do a recording. So think happy thoughts for me and my Mr. There will be more news on this front as we get closer.

Episode 14

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:28:00 +0000

So I realized that I have been remiss in my duties as the wife of writer/creator. My husband's 3rd book came out during the Christmas Madness, and I didn't even mention it. So I would like to direct your attention to PX! Book 2: In the Service of the Queen.

New Release

House of Mystery Vol 01 Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham; Art by Luca Rossi, Ross Campbell, Sean Murphy, Zachary Baldus, Steve Rolston and Jill Thompson; Cover by Sam Weber

I really enjoyed this an awful lot. House of Mystery features layered story telling, varied and excellent art and a compelling connective tale. Also, the Bill Willingham story totally gave me nightmares, so hurray for that.

Marvel

Punisher: Circle of Blood Written by Steven Grant, Pencils by Mike Zeck

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I still prefer the Marvel Knights run though.

Vertigo

Young Liars Vol 01 Story and Art by David Lapham

After reading this, I feel reinforced in my belief that David Lapham hates everyone. Otherwise this was fun, if totally insane.

Tokyopop

Captive Hearts Vol 01 Matsuri Hino

This work, from the creator of Meru Puri and Vampire Knight is just as cute, angsty and well executed as you would expect. I really liked it, and I look forward to the second book once I get it back in stock.

Thanks again, and if you have requests, suggestions or comments, just let me know.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

Episode 13

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:38:00 +0000

Wow

I'm surprised I could even find this place, it's been so long. It's good to be back though. Retail holiday crap is over with now, and I can get back to the very serious and important business of reading comics and then talking about them.

A lot of really fun stuff has come out since last time, and I had a tough time choosing my books this week. Too many cool things to read isn't so bad a problem to have though. For example, right after I went on break, Fables Vol 11 came out, and it was so good that I sat in the pub and cried while I read it. In public and everything.

I am such a nerd.

New Release

Secret Invasion Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Pencils by Leinil Francis Yu

This book is kind of a big deal in the Marvel Universe right now. Not only is it central to the direction of the whole Universe, but it's an experiment to see if people will pay $29.99 for an 8 issue trade paperback. If the sales of the singles were any indication, then Marvel should be able to move forward with their secret plan to force subscribers to pay in limbs, children and precious bodily fluids. It's a fun read though.

Vertigo

Doom Patrol Vol 01 Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Richard Case, Doug Braithwaite, various

I honestly believe that Grant Morrison is at least a little bit insane. After I read this, I did actually have a nightmare about the scissormen. Blegh. Interesting though, and I feel like I need to see where it goes.

Image

The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman

While I really liked the dark, sort of psychological story it was telling, I got a little bogged down in the fine print fonts. There were a lot of little info boxes in teenie-tiny type, and I felt like if I didn't read them all, I would be missing important content. So, this book gave me a headache from squinting, but it was worth it.

Tokyopop

Phantom Dream Vol 01 Natsuki Takaya

This is a relatively new release that's actually an older series. This was Natsuki Takaya's first published manga, before she did Fruits Basket. To me it feels like an artist's early work, in that the story is kind of rough and when you compare this with the art in Fruits Basket, you can see how far she's come. It took me a couple of chapters to get into this story, but once it sort if got itself together, it was fun.

Thanks again, and if you have requests, suggestions or comments, just let me know.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

Winter Break

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Ok everybody. I hate to do this, but with everything getting busier for the holidays, I am going to be taking a break until after Christmas. I need to have more of a separation of work and not-work during the busy season, or I go insane and start having to fight the urge to stab random people with an icepick. And I don't even own an icepick, so it would have to be a special trip to the store just for a stabbing. That would be silly. So I will probably pop in here and there as I am reading things to say "Hey! This is cool!", but probably no actual audio till the rampaging hordes of mall shoppers go back into hibernation.

By the way, go read Freak Angels online. And then go to your local comic book shop (or mine, no icepick, I promise) and buy the trade.

If you don't love it, I'll be very surprised.

Episode 12

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:04:00 +0000

What an insanely complex week this has been. With the election and the new store opening, it feels like it's been a month since my last podcast, but (this time anyway) it's only been a week.

And what a week. No matter what your politics, it was a nail-biter. And since I carry those Obama/McCain Bio Comics I mentioned a few weeks ago, people have been coming in to talk politics. It's been educational, to say the least. When I am speaking here or as a representative of The Comic Book Shop, I try to not be preachy. But I do have very strong political opinions, and I have been doing my best to be nice to people and not rise to the bait when people want to start an argument. Whew. Exhausting.

In less angsty news, our Valley Mall store is open and it looks pretty darn good. I went out there today for the first time to check it out, and I think it's really great. I do wonder how the guys at Waldenbooks (next door) feel.

New Release

Avengers The Initiative Vol 02 Killed In Action Writers Dan Slott, Christos N. Gage

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the Cloud 9 character and most of the MVP/KIA stuff, but the more I think about it, the more Komodo bothers me. I mean, she's part Lizard now, so when something gets cut off, it grows back. Fine, I can buy that. But when she powers down and goes into her non-super state she is a double amputee. And I can sort of live with that, except it looks like her legs from the knees down just vanish when she powers down. I think I could let it go if they, like, fell off or something, but that they just vanish weirds me out. Does the remaining leg re-absorb the bones and flesh? Ick either way.

Marvel

House of M Writer Brian Michael Bendis, Pencils Olivier Coipel

This is the second time I read this, and it was really neat to read it again. I read this the first time about a year and a half ago, and though it was cool then, now that I have some context and know who more of the characters are I got way more out of it. If you are reading X-men, or Avengers or any of the A list Marvel stuff, but you haven't read this, then you should. If you aren't reading the current stuff, but want to get into superheroes in modern comics, this would be a good place to start.

Dark Horse

Serenity Better Days Writer Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Artist Will Conrad

Yay. I loved Firefly and I love all things Serenity. This book makes me happy, like I'm hanging out with an old friend. I don't think this book is quite as good as Those Left Behind, but it still scratches my Mal Reynolds itch.

Viz

Fairy Cube Vol 01Art/Story by Kaori Yuki

Thanks to Jenny, my new closer, for recommending this one. The cover is so cutesy and mildly fan-servicey that I had sort of just ignored it. What a mistake. This is a creepy love and revenge story about a boy whose life and likeness is stolen by an evil spirit. He gets the help of an angry little fairy to try to put things right. The art is expressive, beautiful and richly detailed. My only complaint is that the artist uses a lot of non-directional word bubbles, and sometimes this makes it hard to follow the conversation. Otherwise very cool.

Thanks again, and if you have requests, suggestions or comments, just let me know.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

Go Vote

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:35:00 +0000

I don't care who you vote for, just get down there and do it if you haven't already. They are going to be teaching about this election in history classes in a few years. When the little kids come and ask you who you voted for in 2008, what do you want to tell them?

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:28:00 +0000

Happy Halloween and stuff

This has been kind of a cool and hectic week at The Comic Book Shop. We (mostly Craig and Pat) worked really hard getting our new store open out at Spokane Valley. I did what I could to help from my side, and I can't wait to see it up and running. I just need to take the long slog out to that side of town.

We also had Halloween at the mall, which means tons of Trick-or-Treaters. We handed out comics left over from Free Comic Book Day, and everyone seemed really happy. I got to see some incredibly cute costumes. There was a teeny tiny little girl dressed as Wonder-Woman, lots and lots of Iron Mans (Iron Men?), Hulks and Spideys. There was even one little guy dressed as a Pre-Crisis Superman with a lion's head (which wikipedia tells me was in Action #243). I have to say though, I think my fav for the night were the 2 nice ladies dressed as Jay and Silent Bob that came and hung out in front of the store. That was awesome.

In other news, Fallout 3 came out. Guess what I have been doing for the last several days? I did take the time to read a couple of books though, and I really liked them.

New Release

Green Lantern In Brightest Day Written by John Broome, Alan Moore, Ron Marz and others; Art by Gil Kane, Dave Gibbons and others; Cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams

This was really fun. The more I read Green Lantern, the more I like the whole family. This book collects a handful of stories starting with Green Lantern #7 in 1961 and covering all the Earth Lanterns up to Kyle Raynor in 1994. I had no idea that Hal Jordan had a side kick named Pie Face, or that originally Guy Gardner didn't have that awful haircut. This is a book I would definitely recommend to someone new to comics. It is a great "way in" to the Lantern side of the DC Universe.

DC

DMZ Vol 01 Written by Brian Wood; Art by Wood and Riccardo Burchielli; Cover by Wood

Holy Crap. How did I not read this months ago? This is the story of Matt Roth, a photo tech intern at a major news outlet that gets dropped into a demilitarized zone under heavy fire. Everyone else on his crew gets killed and he gets stranded in the middle of an urban firefight all alone. In Manhattan. It's a little "Escape from New York" and a little "Max Headroom" and a whole lot awesome.

Alright. I'm going to eat some supper and then head back into the radscorpion and raider infested wastelands.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:46:00 +0000

So, firstly, I'm still alive. This cold has taken it right out of me, and the time that I normally spend on reading and prep for my show has been spent sleeping and crocheting. Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it.

I was crocheting a hat for my friend's baby shower which was yesterday. I'm really spiffed with how it came out, and they seemed to think it was cool. I didn't take a picture of it, but it came out a lot like the picture put up by the awesome Veronica who made the pattern.

Pattern and Baby by Veronica

I have been doing a lot of reading though, but between my cough, squeeky voice, and the kid downstairs playing his stereo loud enough to make my teacup vibrate, I'm gonna take a day off.

I the meantime, I can very highly recommend DC New Frontier, The Exterminators (vertigo), and Red River (viz, but I'm on book 3 out 20 something). I am also working my way through what would have been this weeks new release, The Dresden Files. So far I am digging it, but then I loved the show and am happily 2 books in on the novels. It's like Law and Order meets Harry Potter. I'm in heaven. If you haven't watched the show, it's all up on Hulu. It was not a long run, but what they made of it was great.

I want to be able to promise weekly podcasts from here on out, but next week is November. Christmas is coming fast in retail land, so I might just have to do them as I have time in the next couple of months. Once we are past New Years, things open up a lot though, and I should have plenty of time to read and share my nerdly joy of comics.

Ok, I have the kettle on for some tea, and I need to watch some bad tv and fold laundry. If I can swing it, I'll have some podcasty goodness for you in a week.

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Hey everyone, I hate to disappoint, but no Podcast today. I woke up at 6ish this morning with a runny nose, cough, and almost no voice. Yay, I have the plague. I was up for awhile and then strait back to bed. I'm going to spend maybe a little more time on the write-ups than usual, then I'm going to lay down some more and read comics with a big mug of (fresh, locally made) hot cider.

This week has been a really interesting week in global news. I have been watching the economy doing it's trapeze act, (no net!) and I have been watching the presidential debates with keen curiosity. I did fall asleep during the second presidential one, but I made up for it later. I have been following this election closely for months and while I am glad it will be over soon, I can't help but feel that this election cycle is critical to this country's future. In the nature of disclosure, I am a social progressive, I don't want this site to be about that. I only even bring it up because of this weeks new release:

New Release

Presidential Materials

This is the combo package, 2 books in one, with Barack Obama on one side and John McCain on the other. From a pure retail standpoint, I think I might have preferred separate books. I have had folks on both sides of the aisle see it and get excited, only to grunt angrily and drop it back on the rack when the see that the guy they don't like is the other half of the book. From a social science perspective this is a fascinating glimpse at how polarized we are as a country right now. From a cash standpoint, the folks aren't buying, and it drives me nuts.

As for the book itself, it's better than I was afraid it would be. The comics are short biographies of the candidates, and both seem to be covered in a way that is honest and not overly gushy. In the Obama side, it talks about the time in his youth in Jakarta, as well as his drug using, slacker college years. It also covers how he figured it out, worked hard and became such a young Senator. The McCain side felt a bit rushed in comparison, but he has lived a lot longer, and there is a lot more to cover. It starts with his time in the prison in Hanoi, and then flashes back to the story of his family and their tradition of service. And their tradition of finishing in the bottom of their class at the Naval Academy. All in all I felt that the McCain side was a little less flattering than the Obama side of the book, covering more of his personal problems like his divorce and his wife's prescription drug problem. I worry that this will make the book seem biased against him, but if the book is true, there's not a lot that can be done. According to editor Scott Dunbier, a great deal of time and effort went into the fact checking of this book, so I feel comfortable that it is as fair and honest as he was able to make it.

I didn't feel particularly inspired by the art. It really feels like more like a teaching aid and less like an entertainment comic. But that's ok. I hope this gets some classroom use and gets used to start discussions. For all the people wondering who the people are behind the politics, this will go a long way towards humanizing the candidates. We get a good feel for their backgrounds and their values. We see them both as people, fallible but real.

Marvel

She Hulk Vol 04 Laws of Attraction Writer Dan Slott Pencils, Juan Bobillo, Paul Smith, Rick Burchett

I have been slowly working my way through the She-Hulk graphic novels. I really should have mentioned her sooner, because I have been having a lot of fun with her. I haven't read any of the old Savage She-Hulk stuff, and I know that those books are really different. These cover her life as a lawyer. A lawyer that specializes in super-human cases. She spends a lot of time in her alternate form as Jen Walters, and in the first three books we see her do some soul searching on who she is as a person. At the same time, these books are super cheesecake comedy. Shulkie is easy on the eyes, and has to deal with the sort of costume mishaps you would expect when a woman dramatically changes size. I had a little internal argument about her depictions as a female character, but I just can't help but like her. She is the unstoppable, tough beauty that is the She-Hulk, but she is also sweet, mousy Jen. She battles insecurities about her appearance and abilities. I think she is a really good analogue to her cousin. Where in Banner, the Hulk form is an expression of rage, in Jen it's more about power and liberation. I could write an awful lot about gender and society here, but lets just say that it feels like Slott did a good job figuring out what the 2 sides to this kind of coin would look like. Of course she's ridiculous hot as as a hero. That's what heroes are, and it helps sell books. It's not all that she is though. Jen is a fun, complicated character.

In this specific book, Jen is asked to represent an old friend and paramour who had been accused of sexual assault. They manage to handle this really heavy topic in a way that is respectful to victims while still being an enjoyable and at times really funny story. I am actually glad to see they way they put this story together, as it feels like the comic book version of how this story goes in real life, sort of warts and all. It's complicated and worth reading. I will be continuing this series for sure, sneaking a bit here and a bit there as I have time.

Image

Dark Tower The Long Road Home

Now, I have not read everything that Stephen King has ever written, but I have read the Dark Tower Series. For weeks I was having dystopian nightmares about abandoned robot guardians and stuff. Really very cool. As far as the comics go, this book is the second story arc, and I didn't read all of the first. I had been peeking at the singles of this as it was coming out, and I was really looking forward to it's collected release. I hate to say it, but it doesn't do too much for me. I love the artwork. Jae Lee's rich, creepy darkness is a perfect match for my visions of the stories. In the first issue, Sheemi finds an old cybernetics station, and the sheer level of spine tingling ick that the art gave me should be bottled and sold. If I had not read the novels though, I think I would find this series to be a confusing mess of spooky impressions and odd language. So I guess this is like any of the series I sell that are for the fans. People who know, already know. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with that, just that I have a lot of customers that would like these graphic novels to be Cliff's Notes for the novels, and that just isn't what these are. Strictly as a comic, I found the story to be overly slow and plodding. I feel like we spent an awful lot of time in this book without a whole lot of plot movement or exposition. In that respect though, they do resemble some parts of the novels. A lot of the story of the Dark Tower is Roland's futility, and the endless travels through broken worlds. The art in this book captures that perfectly.

I don't want to complain too much. I loved looking at the book. I could have skipped all the text and been happy, so my general lack of excitement for the story is generously tempered by the pretty pictures. Stephen King fans should buy this, as should fans of Jae Lee. Everybody else should read the novels first.

Ok, that's all I have in me. The fever is making my head swim and I'm not entirely sure I'm making any sense. My very nice husband is going to make ravioli with spicy marinara and I am hoping that the spicy will burn out the sore throat ick. Wish me luck.

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Wow. This marks my 10th podcast. I can't help but think that's kind of cool.

So we got some wacky things in at the store this week. One was a nerf football designed to look all Incredibly Hulk-y. So it's a squishy green ball covered in veins. I cut open the box, and there were a pair of them sitting there, looking all testicular at me. I had to show them to every regular that came in. Most of them agreed with my assessment. Then the next day, my boss dropped of a box marked "Darth Slipper" I swear to all that is nerdy, slippers with Darth Vader heads on them. I love my job.

On to the comics!

New Release

Blue Beetle Vol 04 Endgame Written by John Rogers, Justin Peniston and Jai Nitz; Art by Rafael Albuquerque, Andy Kuhn, Mike Norton and Trevor Scott Cover by Albuquerque

This one was a listener recommendation, and I am so grateful. I loved this book, I love the character, and I had a great time getting to use my very rusty Spanish. Que Fantastico!

Marvel

Ultimates 1 Superhuman Writer: Mark Millar, Pencils & Inks, Bryan Hitch

I liked this book a lot, but I hated a lot of the characters. I really liked Thor, and Iron Man didn't bother me, but Betty Ross and the Pyms just gave me angina. I'm going to keep reading though, because I do really like the story.

Image

We3 Written by Grant Morrison; Art and cover by Frank Quitely

This is listener recommendation number 2 this week. I command all of you to buy this book. If you have $13 and you do not own this book, then you have no excuse. This 3 issue short story is one of the best things I have ever read. Ever ever.

Seven Seas

Afro Samurai Vol 01, Takashi Okazaki

Ok. This book has ridiculously gorgeous art. It is highly stylized, and the use of small splashes of red with the black & white is so elegant. But the story didn't do much for me. If you are a fan of the classic revenge story, then you will love this book. Next week, I think I will read a romance.

Thanks again, and if you have requests, suggestions or comments, just let me know.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:45:00 +0000

Yay!

2 Podcast weeks in a row, here we are, back on schedule! There were even 3 birthdays last week to celebrate, including my own, and I started crocheting a very special baby hat for a friend of mine. I don't want to link just yet, and maybe spoil the surprise, but if I manage to get it to come out half as cool as the person who made the pattern, it will be incredibly nerdy/cool.

On to the comics!

New Release

Wolverine First Class Written by Fred Van Lente, Pencils and Inks by Andrea Di Vito

Mr Van Lente said in an interview with Comics Should Be Good that regarding Kitty Pride "I wanted a hook to get female readers interested in the series." It worked. I'm interested. I'd just like to see her be a more rounded character. Right now she seems pretty shallow, even for a 13 year old girl. The art is very pretty though. Oh, and I should post this correction: In the podcast, I mention that the colorist for this book deserves his/her own bow. Then I mention Glynnis Wein, who did the color on the Wolverine first appearance at the back of the book. The colorists for the new stuff are credited as the following: Laura Villari, Guru eFX, Chris Sotomayor, Wilfredo Quintana, & Val Staples. So bow, the lot of you. You did good work.

Marvel

Essential Doctor Strange Written by Stan Lee, Pencils Steve Ditko

This is my first foray into the Essential books, and so far, I am having a good time. The lack of color is a little distracting, but you get used to it, and the crazy 60's stories are like groovy and far out, man. I'm only about half way through this monster sized book, but I am really liking it a lot.

Image

Scud The Disposable Assassin The Whole Shebang - Rob Schrab

Another one from Andy, my trail guide in the comics wilderness. This is so awesome in so many ways, but at 800 pages, I have no idea where to begin explaining it. If you are a fan of the absurd and violent, this book is totally worth it's cover price and you should just go out and buy it.

Del Rey

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, Art by about 50 different people, credited as Capcom.

Wow. I wish I had played the game, then I might have had some idea what was going on. I was under the mistaken impression that you had to yell at your DS in order to progress, and I did not want to be the crazy lady on the bus. I did enjoy this, but I would have gotten much more out of it if I knew what was going on. But that the elderly lady client's name was Ms. Oldbag absolutely cracked me up and had me showing the book to random people that came into the store.

Thank you so much for hanging out with me again this week. Wish me lots of luck, me and Grammar Cowboy signed an offer on a house on friday. It would be awful nice to have a whole room to do this recording stuff in.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

I'm Batman

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:32:00 +0000

Speaking of webcomics, today's Shortpacked almost made me snort my tea.

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:56:00 +0000

I told you there'd be a podcast. and you doubted me.

Also, you may have noticed, today GDRC joined the Rubifruit banner exchange. I hope you don't hate the ads too much, but Rubifruit should help spread the word about my little endeavor. Most of the participants in this are webcomics, like Penny and Aggie for example. For the record, I read a lot of webcomics. It's what I do in the morning while I drink my tea. However, I will not be doing reviews of webcomics on this site, not because I don't see them as a valid medium ( I most certainly do) just because it's not what I am interested in doing here. One of the banners I have seen is for Red String, and that is a work that has been printed in graphic novel format. I have all three current volumes on the shelf at the store right now, so that may be an upcoming review. If you want to help my exposure, click through on a link. You might find something really great.

New Release

JSA Presents The Green Lantern Written by Steven T. Seagle, Tony Bedard and Junior Thomas; Art by John K. Snyder III, Dennis Calero, Staz Johnson, Mike Norton and others Cover by Snyder

I believe that the purpose behind this book is to get someone like me, who hasn't really read this character to say. "Ohh, this looks interesting" and pick it up. It definitely worked, and I think it does it's job of introducing a classic character, making him interesting, and leaving the reader wanting more.

Bonus New-ish Release

Gotham Central HC Vol 01 Written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka; Art and cover by Michael Lark

This book has everything that I like. I has a strong, realistic female protagonist, an excellent story, compelling art, and it's a police procedual. It also made me cry on the airplane because Renee has to go through such heavy crap. I loved it.

DC

Starman Omni Vol 01 Written by James Robinson; Art by Tony Harris, Wade Von Grawbadger and others; Cover by Harris

Thank you, Andrew. Yet again you have handed me something really cool. This book is really hard to describe. It's very 90's. Also very odd and just very good. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

Vertigo

Hellblazer Original Sins Written by Jamie Delano; Art by John Ridgway and Alfredo Alcala

I have been meaning to read this series for about 10 years. I kept going into the comic shop (before I worked there, and I was just a customer) and I would study the always growing collection of Hellblazer books,get intimidated by the number if volumes, and chicken out and get something different. I'm glad I am taking the time now. It was very enjoyable, if a bit dated visually.

VIZ

Record of a fallen Vampire Written by Kyo Shirodaira, Art by Yuri Kimura

This was as good as I was hoping. The story has elements of fantasy and horror without becoming too silly. The art is very pretty with a soft gothic style, and the characters are pretty compelling. My only complaint is that the fight scenes are really busy, making them hard to follow. Still a good read though.

Subscribe to my podcast to get the full reviews.

Or click here to listen to it now.

Mountains are pretty from an airplane

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:10:00 +0000

Yay! I'm home! It was nice to go back to Minnesota and all, but I was ready to not be traveling anymore. So my a-fore mentioned plans for nerdiness got rained out. We were really looking forward to going to the Minnesota Renn Fest but it was just too gross out. For those who've never been, the Renn Fest in Mn is one of the largest in the country. The shops and food make it worth the trip, even if you aren't into the silliness of costumes and fake British accents. But it's not exactly modern, or, you know, paved. When it rains there are few places to hide and the ground quickly becomes a muddy mess. So we saved our money and went to Fogo de Chao instead. The part of me that used to be a vegetarian is horrified. The rest of me was very happy.

I also made it a point to go to the comic shops in the area. It was a mixed bag to say the least. I don't want to speak ill of anyone, but lets just say I like my store a lot.

Also, Dreamhaven had moved. That store was like some kind of nerdvana. We used to go there for signings and rare books. They had all the cool photography books as well as collectibles and a huge used sci-fi/fantasy section. As we approached the (now old) location I could see empty racks in the windows. I almost had a heart attack. We stopped and I grabbed the flyer with the new location and we set out on our pilgrimmage, with a side trip to the Spyhouse. We found the new location, still in process of unpacking. I talked to the owner and he seemed so down. The new store has a lot of potential, but he was saying he was tired and ready to retire. We looked around for awhile, found Eric's books on the shelf, and then left. The owner's weariness took the wind right out of me. I wish him well, because we love Dreamhaven. If we didn't live 1400 miles away, we'd still be regulars.

All in all it was good to visit, and great to come home. Things have changed a lot. Many of our old favorites are gone, but there are some newcomers that we will enjoy next time we visit (ahem, Jake O'Connors, ahem).

I also read a lot of good stuff in the last 2ish weeks. I won't have time to cover it all in the podcast, but I'll hit the highlights. Check back here later on this afternoon, for the comic-y goodness.