All right — back in the saddle again!
Can’t believe it’s already 4 p.m. That makes it late afternoon, nearly evening, which means night, at the end of which I’ll be done. Eep!
Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]
Queen & Country: Operation Saddlebags (Vol. 7) (Oni) [4/3/2/4] (collects #25-28)
w. Greg Rucka; a. Mike Norton, Steve Rolston
More grim-n-gritty MI.6 action. A British minister is acting suspiciously, and taking unexpected visits to foreign locations. Is he selling military secrets, or something else? And will the agency be allowed to pursue him, or will political considerations get in the way? Lots of violence, angst, and failure, mixed with booze and blood. Triffic fun.
Runaways: Pride & Joy (Vol. 1), Teenage Wasteland (Vol. 2), The Good Die Young (Vol. 3) (Marvel) [4/3/4/4] (collects #1-6, 7-12, 13-18)
w. Brian Vaughan; a. Adrian Alphona
Every teen is convinced their parents are fiends. But when this band of kids discovers that their parents are a cabal of super-villains, they flee, with their parents in pursuit. Plots thicken, romance blooms, betrayal blossems, stakes rise, and ultimately there’s blood on the ground. Smart, sassy, and fun — how, exactly, would you live as a runaway “hero”? — it was a great (and underpublicized) series perfect for teens, but quite readable by adults.
Small Gods: Killing Grin (Vol. 1) (Oni) [3/3/4/4] (collects #1-4)
w. Jason Rand; a. Juan Ferreyra
Imagine a world in which a full 1% of people had demonstrable psychic powers. How would crime differ? More importantly, how would law enforcement be different. In Hand’s case, there are serious legal restrictions on what a cop is allowed to use his telepathy, precognition, or other psychic ability — and one cop is going to be faced with a decision of what needs to be sacrificed, and at what cost, to protect himself, his career, his friends, and his principles. Great idea, decent (if cliched) writing to execute it, somewhat clumsy art. Still, quite worth a read.
(listening to: Talking Heads, “Ruby Dear” from Naked)
(listening to: Springfield, Dusty, “Live Here With You” from Dusty in Memphis)
(listening to: Mediaeval Baebes, “Salve Virgo Virginum” from Salva Nos)
(listening to: Raitt, Bonnie, “Love Me Like a Man” from Bonnie Raitt Collection, The)
(listening to: Frente!, “Lonely” from Marvin the Album)
(listening to: Simon & Garfunkel, “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream” from Wednesday Morning, 3 AM)
(listening to: Nylons, “Perpetual Emotion” from Seamless)
(listening to: “Texture14_WaveLanding” from City of Heroes)