Hello folks,
I hope you are all having a great week. Where I am the weather keeps messing with us all. One moment it's sunny, the next it's snowing. What the hell man? Again I just want to know what's coming, that's all I ask.
Book Club tonight was another lively discussion. This was also fueled by free alcohol, for which I was very grateful. Thanks Zach! I was very glad to see some old friends and also meet some cool new people. I've been going to this club for six months and it's always been fun. I know that soon the club will have to move to a new space sometime within the next few months. I hope that it's still in reasonable proximity, so I can go. We'll just have to see.
Also I wanted to remind folks that PBS has started airing BBC's Little Dorrit. I watched Part One last weekend and found it very intriquing. There are a lot of different characters and threads, but man it's going to be 5 parts long. I can't wait to see how all the threads come together. If you missed it PBS is airing Part One online this week. I'd suggest checking it out, here.
Anyway Onward!
Reviews
Astro City Vol. 1
I highly enjoyed this first trade. Kurt Busiek loves superheroes. That comes out loud and clear in this series which is a deconstruction/celebration of the comic mythos. Like Alan Moore's Watchmen, Astro City showcases a world where superheroes exist. Each issue tells a stand alone story from one POV. However Busiek rather than showing the dark side focuses on the positive, paying homage to the comics of the silver age. This is a great companion to Marvels, which was also written/drawn by the team of Busiek & Ross. As much as I love the grim reality of Watchmen it is great to soar in the world of Astro City.
Other Reviews
Mervi's Book Reviews
Bodega Dreams
This was my book club book this month. I definitely wouldn't have picked it up myself. It took me about half-way thru the book for me to understand what Quinonez is getting at. This book is clearly meant to be a microcosm of the two groups trying to take over Spanish Harlem. On one side you have the rigidness of the Pentecostal/christian religious influence of Blanca's church and on the other side the evil capitalism of Willie Bodega. Chino, the protagonist, is caught in the middle of the two sides. He believes in Bodega's dream of the rise of a Puerto-Rican professional class, but knows that Bodega is far from altruistic. Chino sees the world as a place where nothing is completely free. There is always a catch or a favor owed for any good deed. I was impressed by Quinonez's ability to capture the world of Spanish Harlem. There is a clear distinct use of language that is necessary to understand the educational hierarchy. The more "street" that you are the more the dialogue becomes colloquial, where as professionals like Nazarrio speak in clear English. If there is a fault with this book is that it is very traditional in it's narrative. I think it would have benefited from more experimentation like South by South Bronx. Perhaps a use of First person, instead of flashback, would have lended the story more urgency. As it is I thought the ending was quite a good twist and felt it was well set up all along. I'm interested to see where Quinonez goes next.
Other Reviews
Salon Books | Entertainment Weekly
All Star Superman Vol. 2
Grant Morrison defies definition. In one book he can write one of the craziest stories you've ever read, see Kill Your Boyfriend and the Invisibles series, and then in another he can write the most traditional superhero book ever. In this series he writes the clearest, best version of Superman I've read on the page. In the All-Star Superman series Kal-el is not interested in dominating the human race, he believes in all the good that we are capable of. It's pure classic silver age comics. I particularly loved the Bizarro style issue, where Superman desperately tries to co-opt the most infuriating comic race ever. One should also take notice of the amazing art by Frank Quitely. Check out this series, it will fill you with joy.
Past Reviews: All Star Superman Vol. 1
Other Reviews
Ifanboy | blogcritics
The Reading List
Books
Penelopiad
The 12 Caesars
Comics
Trinity #43
Magazine
Time
Check Out Count: Far too High.
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #24, Deadpool #9, Flash Rebirth #1, Trinity #44
Have a great week! Book Slave.
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