About time, after this, for me to get up and walk around, eat something, take a general break. But there’s minutes to go before I post, and I have miles of comics to roast, and I have miles of comics to roast …
(I’ve started posting multiple “listening to” bits, as the mood seizes me. Since these posts take, oh, about half an hour to do, that makes for several tracks randomizing through iTunes …)
Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]
Lucifer: Mansions of the Silence (Vertigo) [3/3/2/2] (collects #36-41)
w. Mike Carey; a. Peter Gross, et al.
Lots of stuff goes on here that would be too complicated to say. The huge metaphysical soap opera of the series continues apace, including bloody battle, creation, destruction, conversations with God, angels both fallen and falling, and the appointment of unexpected tutelary spirits by an unexpected appointer. A fine casual read, but the last of the collections I’ve picked up (though I continue to read the monthly title). I suspect this series would have been better as an occasional miniseries than this ongoing trudge toward something that may well be very interesting, but which is taking too long to be arrived at.
Liberty Meadows: Summer of Love (Vol. 3) (Image) [3/5/3/4]
w/a. Frank Cho
This collection of Cho’s strips (prior to their amendment by editors while it was still running in the papers) have the same surreal joy to them as “Bloom County” when it wasn’t trying to be clever. Cho’s a marvelous artist, too, and the material here is crisp and enjoyable, if not terribly deep (and since depth is difficult in a daily newspaper strip, not to mention not Cho’s intent, that sounds pretty successful to me).
Nodwick Adventure Log (Vol. 1) (Dork Storm) [4/3/4/4]
w/a. Aaron Williams
A collection of Nodwick strips and cartoons from the beginning of the eternal henchman’s career (and Williams’, too). The art is more detailed than the current Nodwicks, and here it’s presented for the first time in color. It’s likely best appreciated by folks who play D&D-style games (the cover is modeled after the old TSR D&D “Adventurer’s Log” publication), but it’s pretty funny from a general fantasy standpoint. Not sure how to buy it, though — no link from the Dorkstorm Press, and nothing on Amazon. Worth tracking down, though.
(listening to: Hawkins, Sophie B., “Did We Not Choose Each Other” from Whaler)
(listening to: Blassie, Freddie, “Pencil Neck Geek” from Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary)
(listening to: Jarre, Maurice, “Overture” from Lawrence of Arabia)
(listening to: Elfman, Danny, “Main Titles” from Dick Tracy)
(listening to: Hogwood & AAM, “If God Be For Us” from Messiah)