Indie Corner - 10/22/2014

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

SAMURAI JACK 13

Jack's been in a rough spot these last few issues.  Here, things get both better and worse for him.  Aku has a way to find Jack, but Jack possibly has a way to fix his sword.  I suspect, without checking solicit info, Jack and Aku will meet on the final page of next issue and fight in 15.  This issue did away with my concerns at the beginning of this arc, and slid the title back over to the "recommended" column.

Starlight 06

STARLIGHT 6

Last issue, I was worried one issue wasn't enough to wrap up this story.  I wanted the adventures of Duke McQueen to continue because I was enjoying it so much.  But after this, the final issue, I'm more than pleased with the conclusion.  If you haven't been reading Starlight, I hope you'll pick up the trade once that comes out.  It's a great read.

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE 5

Last issue (spoiler!) Luci broke out of prison.  This is what happens next.  The final words of the issue are "it's not over."  Of course it's not.  I'm not going to talk about what happens between those two events, except to say that it's good and you should read it.  Also, check out the well-written essay at the back.  There's even a special note in the credits, which I looked at only so I could write the next sentence.  Everything between the covers of this book is brilliant.  I hope you read it.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES/GHOSTBUSTERS 1

IDW's excellent Ninja Turtles series jumps dimensions into IDW's excellent Ghostbusters series (sadly concluded).  It's so brilliant, I don't know why it wasn't done sooner.  If you can't tell, I'm a huge fan of both series.  The two teams meet on the last page of the issue, so they haven't yet interacted, which will be the true test of believability.  Thankfully, the regular writers from each series are involved here, so I don't think there will be any problems there.  Three different art teams is a bit weird, but done in a way that minimizes the changes.  Recommended for anyone reading both or either series, or even just fans of the franchises.

PREDATOR VS JUDGE DREDD VS ALIENS

Honestly, if the title alone doesn't do it for you, I don't know what to say.  Actually, the cover and title are a bit misleading, because the book is actually two stories - Dredd vs Predator and Dredd vs Aliens.  Still.  I've never read Dredd before but have been wanting to get into it for a while.  I've read very little Predator or Aliens comics, but I'd been similarly toying with the idea for about a year.  So seeing this on the rack, it practically leapt into my hands.

Predator vs Judge Dredd is from 1997, so the art is slightly dated, but I had no problem slipping into it.  Judge Dredd vs Aliens is from 2003, but the art has a much more modern feel and could easily sit alongside any indie title today.  Both stories are written and co-written, respectively, by John Wagner, so Dredd is definitely in the right hands.  I thoroughly enjoyed both and suspect many other fans of these franchises would as well.

Indie Corner - 10/15/2014

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

 

PEEPO CHOO vol. 3

I read volumes one and two of this series years back but Felipe's current stint on Ghost Rider reminded me I'd never finished the series.  So I corrected that.  For those unfamiliar, Felipe's art and writing blend serious and comedic, realistic and absurd.  The story of Peepo Choo, and his earlier series MBQ, are too much to summarize here, but I recommend them for anyone currently enjoying his writing on Ghost Rider.  Both series are relatively cheap on Amazon, and Comixology has MBQ.  They're both excellent.

Trees 6

TREES 6

Very little tends to happen in Trees, but it's the best book in which very little happens.  The trees go on treeing while some long, well-written conversations take place and some ominous new elements are introduced.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 39

Mutant mayhem!  And not a single X-Man in sight.  Since it's right on the cover, I don't think I'll be spoiling anything by saying Bebop and Rocksteady run into Hob's growing gang.  The Turtles are on hand as well, minus Donatello, whom has "more important things to do."  Oh snap.  Literally nothing gets resolved, so next issue should feature a serious throwdown.  I eagerly look forward to it.

THE LIFE AFTER 4

I'm at a loss for words in how to describe this series.  Things get worse, pretty consistently, for our troop of characters.  Even the ones where you think, "But what about -- "  Nope.  As you'll learn here, not even them.  And next issue?  Pretty sure things are going to get worse.  Again.  I'll be there.  Will you?

SOUTHERN BASTARDS vol. 1

What an ending.  Ordinarily, I'm a fan of Jason Aaron, but the preview for issue one came out in the lead-up to the series launch... and it did nothing for me.  Weeks go by, and the manager at my comic shop mentions how crazy the book has gotten.  This is top notch Aaron and LaTour is equally brilliant on art.  But man, that ending.  I don't know where this series is going, but I'll be along for the ride.

THE UNWRITTEN vol. 10

There are times I think I know what's going on in this book.  And there are times when I'm utterly confused.  At this point, so near the end, I'm just hoping it makes sense once complete.  The last volume (Fables crossover) was fun and all, but it broke from the narrative at a rather critical time.  Now, we've come back, and have to remember what was going on before that.  As I said, I'm just hoping it makes sense in the end.

BLACKSAD: AMARILLO

I've been trying to figure out what to say about this for a while.  The story is literally all over the place - there's a stolen car, a motorcycle gang, a circus, a few deaths... and did that guy really just let a stranger drive off in his car?  Really?!  Even mediocre Blacksad is still pretty good, but if you haven't had the pleasure yet, skip this and get the earlier work.

Indie Corner - 10/08/2014

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

EAST OF WEST vol. 3

There's a few reasons I love this series.  First, the art is great.  Next, the characters are unique.  Seems like a requirement, right?  But in a week where reviews complain about everyone's quips in Axis, the characters here each have his or her own motives and manner of speech.  And last, the story isn't spoon-fed to the audience.  Monumental things are happening in this story (especially this volume), and it's up to the reader to figure out the full implications and what's really going on.

RISE OF AURORA WEST

I thoroughly enjoyed Battling Boy and was excited to hear more books would be coming.  One of those is now out, and I find I'm rather disappointed.  Rise of Aurora West follows Aurora and her father before the events of the original Battling Boy, but adds little to the characters or story.  There's also the art of David Rubin, whom I'm guessing was picked to compliment Pope.  While his art is well suited to some of the scenes, it really undercuts the violence with cartooniness instead of straddling the line like Pope did in the original Battling Boy.  Skip.

Annihilator 02

ANNIHILATOR 2

As I was reading this, I thought back to my recent words on Supreme: Blue Rose.  I greatly disliked Blue Rose, but Annihilator sits in almost the same spot of "divisive writer doing vague and weird."  Yet, for some reason, I'm really enjoying Annihilator.  The only thing I can figure is I think Morrison has given us a few more scraps to grab onto than Ellis.  I'm along for the ride.  Your mileage may vary.

WYTCHES 1

I think I made it two issues into The Wake before I decided I'd rather read it collected.  (Still waiting for the hardcover!)  This was a good first issue, and one helluva cliffhanger, but it's just setup so far.  Things had just started to happen when it ended.  I'll be back for issue two, but it's hard to get a sense of the series with just this issue.

COPPERHEAD 2

After a great first issue, I told my comic shop to pull issues 2 - 4 for me.  I read a lot of first issues and come back for issue two on about half.  In the case of Copperhead, I might be in for the long haul.  Great art and characters with plenty of intrigue.

BIRTHRIGHT 1

Wow.  It's tough to pull family drama and high fantasy in a single story, but Birthright does it well.  I'll be even more vague than usual so as to not ruin any of the surprises, but it's hard to tell where the series will go from here.  I have some ideas, but given the surprises thus far, I'd rather sit back and enjoy the ride than speculate.  Recommended.

RAGNAROK 2

If you haven't picked up the first issue, you really should.  It's brilliant.  This picks up right where that left off, and quickly leads to a whole bunch of people dying.  The end of the issue leaves things in such a way that anything can happen .  If you're at all interested in seeing Walt Simonson do whatever he wants, get this series.

BLACK SCIENCE 9

My feelings on this series are hard to put into words.  On the one hand, I enjoy it.  On the other, it's always at the bottom of my read pile.  Nine issues in, and I haven't converted it over to trades yet because I'm not not sure I like it.  The art is gorgeous, the characters are all well written, but the story... it's barely there.  I'm still reading it, but it's always hard to tell for how much longer.

SEX CRIMINALS 8

Another book that's usually at the bottom of my read pile each month, though for very different reasons.  Sex Criminals is personal.  It's funny and dark, evokes emotions, and makes me think.  It's something I like to read in a single sitting and have to be in the right mood for.  And it's always rewarding.  Here, we meet a new character, check in with our usual cast, and our antagonists make a move.  A pleasure, as always.

OCTOBER FACTION 1

Another number one this week, though this one doesn't have the same shocking cliffhanger ending as the others.  Still, it's a solid, atmospheric start.  Niles plants seeds for multiple stories and Worm's art sets the perfect tone for the dark series.

Indie Corner - 9/24/2014

The Squidder

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

THE SQUIDDER

I Kickstarted this and received the collected edition in the mail last week.  Issue four, if you're buying the singles, should be out either this week or next.  It's good; I like it.  Quick recap: Our dimension is being invaded by squid-like monsters, Earth creates modified human monsters to fight the squid.  The series takes place decades after humanity loses the war.  Typical Templesmith art, though the writing is more serious than Wormwood (Bonus recommendation: Check out Wormwood, it's awesome and funny).  Imagine a bad man in a bad world, just getting by, until someone gives him something to kill, and you won't be far off.  Sounds cliche, but I dug it.  Definitely recommended for any fans for Templesmith.

SAGA 23

Oh Saga, you break my heart.  Top-notch issue from cover-to-cover in which everyone shows what they're really made of.  If you're not reading this by now, I don't know what to say.  It's great, and also terrible because Vaughan and Staples are putting the cast through the wringer.  And I can't wait for my next dose.

SHUTTER 6

I have no idea where this series is going, but it's so full of surprises, gorgeous art, and believable characters, that I'm along for the ride.  This issue could be summed up with "Things go Awry" as basically nothing happens for anyone the way they'd planned it.  If the book focused a bit more on the characters and less on weird, mysterious things happening, it could easily have a following like Saga.  I recommend anyone into weird, mysterious things and gorgeous art to check out the first issue and see if it grabs you.  Spoiler alert: issues 2 - 6 have more of the same.

SAMURAI JACK 12

The opening arc of Samurai Jack was fantastic.  Great first issue, I had high hopes.  The arc ended sooner than I expected, and subsequent issues haven't quite lived up to the original high standard.  Until now.  Jack's sword lies broken, Aku knows it, and Jack's in some serious trouble.  I'm sure this will read much better as an eventual trade, since much of this issue is still set-up, but it's still great.  My only issue is that it's over so quickly.

ROCHE LIMIT 1

While the book has an interesting premise (think Babylon 5 without the aliens), none of the characters are likable and there's not enough story to get me to come back for more.

Daily Draft: Lost

Hopelessly lost, and all other options exhausted, Toast stepped onto the teleporter pad looking for a way back to anything recognizable. He emerged onto a field, otherwise empty save for a domed home a short walk away. Shadows lifted from the map within his mind and he at once knew where he was again. But instead of instantly travelling home again, he lingered, intrigued by the simple-looking building. He approached, slowly, almost cautiously, despite not knowing why he felt apprehension toward this place. Toast found the home to be empty, seemingly abandoned some years passed. Not finding answers to any of his questions, Toast opened a portal back to VOID City, putting this strange place behind him. Though there was no one there to hear it, a quiet sobbing filled the air at Toast's parting, from the ghost that still haunts this place, for the husband she lost long ago.

Art by Gabriel "gabo" Bautista Jr

Best Audio Books of 2013

My wife gave me an Audible account Last Christmas, and I dove in with abandon.  Below are some of the best books I've listened to in the last year.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier Clay
So well written, it easily could have been real.

Snow Crash
If I had listened to this when it was originally published, I would have spent the intervening years a hipster douche talking about how Snow Crash did it first or better.  Still great.

Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius
Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about Nikola Tesla.

Macbeth
Macbeth has always been one of my favorite Shakespearean works, and this novelization brings it to life in new ways.

World War Z
Possibly the best zombie story I've ever encountered.

Kitchen Confidential
I've been a fan of Anthony Bourdain for 10+ years, and this is an entertaining and interesting look at his early life and career.

The Martian
Simply one of the best books I've ever read.

Inferno
Easily the best of the Robert Langdon series, and with a rather surprising ending.

NOS4A2
Creepy and fantastic.

Relic
Great book, but don't re-watch the movie.

The Fault in Our Stars
Nearly brought me to tears a few times, which is really saying something.

Parallel Worlds
Mind blowing stuff.

The Gun Seller
If Douglas Adams wrote about conspiracies and terrorists, I think it'd be something like this.  Wonderful and hilarious.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Short, but amazing.  This is how I want to write.

The Areas of My Expertise
I laughed my way across Italy with this book.  Oh, the Hobo Wars and that fictional city of Chicago...

Rendezvous with Rama
I felt a few times like I'd read this already, but I later realized that many have used this story as inspiration for their own.

I, Robot
A great collection from Isaac Asimov.

Minority Report and Other Stories Unabridged Stories
A great collection from Philip K. Dick.

Ender's Game
The best parts of the book were left out of the movie.  Read this instead.

Peter & Max
Set in the Fables universe, which I haven't read since it launched all those years ago.  Still, this was excellent and may have convinced me to give the series another read.

Beyond Religion
Hands down, no one is cooler than the Dalai Lama.

Peter and the Starcatchers
Part of a series, but books two and three were middling.  One and four were great, though.

Series
Grimnoir Chronicles
Not only a great story set in an alternate early 20th Century with magic, but Bronson Pinchot is a helluva voice actor.

The Dresden Files
I wasn't overly impressed after book one, but +Dipak had books two and three already so I kept going.  Now, everyone we know has or is reading them and we're all waiting for book 15.

Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
A great continuation of the Star Wars story, that's very likely no longer cannon.

Indie Corner - 10/23/13

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

COFFIN HILL 1

Coffin Hill #1

Great first issue, though I do particularly enjoy non-sequential storytelling.  We're presented with Eve Coffin, daughter of a powerful family she doesn't want any part of, yet can't manage to escape.  Events unfold in both 2003 and 2013, with a page filled with hints and glimpses of what happens in between.  In one era, she's a rebellious youth that gets into more trouble than she was expecting.  In the other, she's a rookie cop that solves a major crime, garnering unwanted attention from press and co-workers alike.  I'll definitely be picking up more of this.

ZERO 2

This issue is creepy.  Taking an early look at Zero's training as a child, we're shown some disturbing events in his early life.  While each issue is supposed to be stand-alone, the final page actually follows up on the fallout from last issue.  The writing remains top-notch and the art from Tradd Moore is just as good as his work on Luther Strode.  Recommended.

SIX-GUN GORILLA 5

Trippy and amazing, this issue changes everything you thought you knew about the series.  The bulk takes place in our antagonist's head, but a crucial scene is happening simultaneously back on Earth.  While I still recommend the series, at this point you'd be better off waiting for the trade so you can hold the entire story in your hands.  With only one issue to go, I expect things will go out with a bang.

INVINCIBLE 106

Battle Beast!  Battle Beast remains one of my favorite characters, and it's always good to see him again.  From the final pages, it appears we should be seeing more of him in the near future.  What seems like a relatively quiet issue dinner with Mark, Eve, and his parents, is actually filled with future plot threads.  What's Robot really up to?  Is Mark stronger than Nolan?  A villain we haven't seen in awhile returns!  And, of course, the aforementioned Battle Beast is given a mission.  There's quite a lot going on here.

100 BULLETS: BROTHER LONO 5

This issue made me realize I had chosen a similar setting for a personal project, and I now have a hard time looking at it without thinking about my own story.  Anyway, people do bad things while Lono tries to remain good.  That's about all the summary I can give you.  The dialogue, if possible, is even better here than in previous issues.  The art from Risso is similarly fantastic.  While I have a hard time calling calling anything _100 Bullets_ without Agent Graves, this is Azzarello and Risso playing to their strengths, and I love it.

SHELTERED 4

Each issue, I find myself wondering about the long-term prospects of this series, with the cast ever-dwindling.  I'd say, "things aren't going well" but at this point that should be a given.  Lucas deals with another member of the group that has questions, while the girls in the bunker mull over what to do next.  The drama and characterization remain very good, but the constant question in the back of my mind is, "where is all this going?"  Lucas has an idea, one that necessitated his actions in the first issue, and as crazy as it sounds, I'm wondering if that's exactly what's going to happen.

ROCKET GIRL 1

I can't tell if I like this book or not.  It's interesting, and I'll probably pick up the second issue... but I'm not convinced it's good.  The main character, Dayoung Johanssson is a 15-year-old cop from the future (2013) that's gone to 1986 to fix time.  The thing that bugs me is the reaction other characters, especially the 80s police officers have to her.  The scientists she first appears to are justifiably surprised, but the police seem to take her at her word despite her age and strange attire.

LETTER 44 1

Good first issue, not great, but I'm interested enough to keep purchasing.  An unpopular outgoing president leaves a letter for his replacement that tells of something, not of human origin, being constructed within our solar system.  We secretly scramble a mission to investigate, and the new president is sworn in just as the crew in space approach the object.  Most of the issue is spent introducing the cast, setting the stage, and scenes of politicians talking to one another.  I'll probably pick up through issue three to see where this is going.