Book List 2012: Part 14

* = reread
[GN] = Graphic Novel or Comic Anthology
[CB] = Children's Book

151.*[GN]

Barefoot Gen, vol 1,2,3
by Keiji Nakazawa

A partially auto-biographical story about Japan during WWII and what life was like in Hiroshima before, during, and after the atomic bomb was dropped.

Is it just me or was school woefully silent about Japan during WWII? I mean, in America is seems that Japan represents the bookends to our WWII history and nothing more: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the catalyst for the United States to enter the war, and the U.S. dropping the atomic bombs on Japan was the end.

East Asian Studies major here, I know I'm biased, but guess what? Japan was kind of a big player in WWII (and by “kind of” I mean it was one of the 3 Axis members), and it's ridiculous how underplayed their role in the war is in American schools.

I'm getting a little off topic here, but trust me that I'm getting to a point. You see, I would argue that Barefoot Gen is the best graphic novel about WWII. People love to hold up Art Speigalman's Maus as the pinnacle of comic achievement in that field, but you know what? I find Maus to be incredibly boring. Honestly, pick up a copy of Maus and look at pictures and pretend there are no words. Not only does Barefoot Gen have much more dynamic (if perhaps not as clean) artwork, but it's subject matter is more fascinating (and much rarer). No offense to Maus, but there are a million different stories across all different mediums that tell a story of the Holocaust and many of them do so in a much more moving & informative way. Yet, I have yet to come across anything that matches the visceral feeling I get from reading Barefoot Gen. Scenes from that comic are burned into my brain. I can never look at atomic bombs the same again.

Although, speaking of which, I should warn you that you should be careful with this book if you're overly squeamish...because daaaaaammn. Despite the fact that it might horrify you into a coma, I think even the squeamish ones should read it. Because trust me, you don't know shit about the horrors of the atomic bomb until you've read stuff like this. I mean, what kind of devastation do you think of when you think of the atomic bomb? My guess is a combination of Instant incineration, Radiation poisoning, and those shadows burned into walls. Scary stuff to be sure, but trust me when I say the other stuff that went down will quickly replace your old top 3. I don't want to gross anyone out by mentioning examples, but...yeah...it's terrifying. It was so freaky it reached a point where I could only start laughing, which is generally a sign of your body and brain not having a clue how to handle things.

And that's why you should read it. Even if you don't want to, because you don't want to be grossed out. Because it's important. It's important to know just how bad nuclear threats are. It's important to have horrifying, sickening images come to mind every time someone says we should nuke another country. We should all think about Gen and his family and their struggles and realize that we aren't playing a game here.


Now don't get me wrong, Gen isn't perfect. The main problem being that a fair number of scenes (especially in the first volume) lay on the messages pretty thick [extremely thick actually]. But I'm willing to overlook that, because even while it's laying down some heavy-handed-hind-sight-anti-war message, you're still getting a look at what life was like for a lot of Japanese. So many WWII stories love to demonize the axis members, but Gen does a superb job of showing a variety of viewpoints among the citizens on Japan.

And while the parts about life in Japan just before the bomb was dropped are great, it's after the bomb hits that the story really finds its stride. There are actually 6 volumes in the series, but this time around I just read the first 3. While the whole series is good, if you don't want to devote that much time I'd say at least read the 1st one, the 2nd one if you can, keep going to number 3 if you want to stop reading on a happier note, and if you get to 4 then you've obviously got the gumption and you might as well just read the entire thing...because it's great.

“

Like a wind from hell, the atomic cloud roared up 6 miles into the sky over Hiroshima..

“..Uh-h-h...

What happened? It's pitch dark!...night already?

How could that be I was on my way to school...something flashed...and after that I don't remember a thing...

Wow, what's with this wall?

*GASP*

It's...it's the lady I was just talking to--what's happened to her skin?”

”

pg 252-253

152.

The Enchanted Places

by. Christopher Milne

The autobiography of the son of Winnie the Pooh writer A.A. Milne, although you might remember him better by another name: Christopher Robin Milne.

At the end of Brainiac [BL 2012 #122], Ken Jennings mentioned something about how Christopher Robin Milne deeply resented Winnie the Pooh, as well as his dad for creating it, because he got picked on a lot for it. This struck me as incredibly sad and also possibly overblown, so I decided to go check a primary source.

It turns out Christopher Milne doesn't hate his dad or Winnie the Pooh. He admits that there were times when he was younger that he resented his dad and his works for the unwelcome attention it caused him during school and in the military, but I think it'd be fair to say that everyone resents their parents when they're younger. But he shows in the book that he really did love both his Dad and Pooh. There may have been some hardship because of the books, but I think Jennings and others have latched onto a small part of a larger story and phrased things inappropriately.

Anyways, I quite enjoyed this one. I usually don't go in for biographical stories, but Milne knows what he's doing. he doesn't try to expound on every moment of his life. He chooses a handful of ideas, memories, and events that are representative of the whole. And it makes the book really fun.

Plus if you're a big Winnie the Pooh fan, you get all sorts of interesting information about all sorts of behind-the-scenes happenings.

“ 

In the last chapter of The House at Pooh Corner our ways part. I go on to become a school boy. A child and his bear remain playing in the enchanted spot at the top of the forest. The toys are left behind, no longer wanted, in the nursery. So a glass case was made for them and it was fastened to the nursery wall in Mallord Street, and they climbed inside. And there they lived, sometimes glanced at, mostly forgotten, until the war came. Roo was missing. He had been lost years before, in the apple orchard up the lane. And Piglet's face was a funny shape where a dog had bitten him. During the war they went to America and there they have been ever since...

If you saw them today, your immediate reaction would be: “How old and battered and lifeless they look.” But of course they are old and battered and lifeless. They are only toys and you are making them for the real animals who lived in the forest. Even in their prime they were no more than a first rough sketch, the merest hint of what they were to become, and they are now long past their prime. Eeyore is the most recognizable; Piglet the least. So, if I am asked “Aren't you sad that the animals are not in their glass case with you today?” I must answer “Not really,” and hope that this doesn't seem too unkind. I like to have around me the things I like today, not the things I once liked many years ago. I don't want a house to be a museum. When I grew out of my old First Eleven blazer, it was thrown away, not lovingly preserved to remind me of the proud day I won it with a score of 13 not out. Every child has his Pooh, but one would think it odd if every man still kept his Pooh to remind him of his childhood. But my Pooh is different, you say: he is the Pooh. No, this only makes him different to you, not different to me. My toys were and are to me no more than yours were and are to you. I do not love them more because they are known to children in Australia or Japan. Fame has nothing to do with love.

I wouldn't like a glass case that said: “Here is fame”; and I don't need a glass case to remind me: “Here was love.”

”

-pg 78-79

153.

Yellowrocket

by. Todd Bass

A collection of poems.

You know what? Todd Bass is officially one of my Top 5 Favorite Poets. And in case you're curious here is a list of my Top 5 Favorite Poets: Edgar Allen Poe, Shel Silverstein, Clive Barker, Sherman Alexie, and Todd Bass.

But yeah, it's poetry, so I don't see the point in analyzing it for review. Poetry relies too much on your specific tastes. Just know that I love his stuff. I'd say that overall Pitch was the superior collection, but this one's still great.

“

 Not Crash, Nor Roar

but the chug of train is how survivors
tend to explain the score of an oncoming twister. Queer,

to compare a work of nature to so
tame a thing as steel wheels riding on parallel rails,

but isn't that how terror assails us: by masquerading
its powers as everyday things, spinning clouds

into funnels, towers into tunnels?
And do we ascertain the sound as locomotive

while the tornado's rough tongue touches down,
or do we apply the metaphoric construction

only after the destruction blows town?
And if that latter, doesn't the sound describe

not terror's arrival, but safety's departure,
as it rumbles over the switches of our survival?

Does it ever get easier for us, the lovelorn,
hugging ourselves against the strain

of being left behind,
on a platform,

in the rain? 

”

-pg 38

[P.S. I wasn't able to replicate it, but in the book the lines are spaced so that they poem as a whole creates the image of a tornado...and that's awesome.]

154.

I Shall Wear Midnight

by. Terry Pratchett

The fourth, and final book, in the Tiffany Aching series, in which Tiffany must confront the ultimate foe of witches.

You know what? I thought The Wintersmith was the last book of this series, and in that review I expressed my wish that there'd be another one. And no one mentioned the fact that there indeed IS another book! I know for a fact that at least one of you folks knew this and yet failed to mention it. Basically what I'm getting at here is that you're all terrible people.

But enough of that. I love the Tiffany Aching books. And yet my feelings towards this one is a bit mixed. On one hand I felt that it was probably the weakest one of the series, but at the same time I think it provides a wonderful end note to the series. So...yeah...it's hard to coalesce disparate ideas like those.

My problems basically amount to the fact that the beginning of the book sets a tone of danger and excitement that is extremely high and yet it wasn't able to maintain that level throughout the book. The villain is said to be some extraordinary force of evil, and yet it really doesn't seem anything more than a slight inconvenience most of the time.

Like usual, I feel the need to say that me complaining about things in my favorite series comes from a place of extremely high expectations. It's by no means bad, I was just hoping for more than it was prepared to offer. I would recommend not going into this one expecting some epic showdown of Good vs. Evil. Go in expecting a fun story where the loose ends of the series are tied up, leading to an artful end to the series.

“

Oh, yes—she could imagine the conversation in the pub, with the beer joining in and people remembering where all those things that weren't weapons were hanging in their sheds. Every man was the kind in his little castle. Everyone knew that—well, at least every man—and so you minded your own business when it came to another man's castle until the castle begin to stink, and then you had to do something about it lest all castles should fall. Mr. Petty was one of the neighborhood's sullen little secrets, but he was not a secret anymore.

“I am your only chance, Mr. Petty,” she said. “Run away. Grab what you can and run away right now. Run away to where they've never heard of you, and then run a bit further, just to be on the safe side, because I will not be able to stop them, do you understand? Personally, I could not care less what happens to your miserable frame, but I do not wish to see good people get turned into bad people by doing a murder, so you just leg it across the fields and I won't remember which way you went.”

“You can't turn me out of my own house,” he mumbled, finding some drunken defiance.

“You've lost your house, your wife, your daughter...and your grandson, Mr. Petty. You will find no friends here this night. I am just offering you your life.”

”

-Pg 22-23

155.

Until They Bring the Streetcars Back

by. Stanley Gordon West

A story set in 1960's St. Paul, Minnesota, about a high school boy who meets a strange girl.

I realize that summary sounds really open and vague. It is like that because it is a quality summary.


I read this one because it was recommended by one of the student workers at the library.

It really wasn't my sort of thing.

The main character is a doofus and the "mystery” behind the strange girl is pretty ridiculous. And by "pretty ridiculous” I mean "utterly ridiculous.” It was so bizarre that I actually started seriously believing that there was going to be a twist wherein we learn that the girl is just messing with him. Sadly that wasn't the case and the whole thing was serious. Did I already mention that the main character is a doofus?

That all being said there were some memorable moments and the fact that it was set in 1960's St. Paul was the pretty darn interesting. I had heard mention of the old streetcars, but never really heard much about their history. It really is a shame that they were all torn up, considering that now we're spending so much money to put lightrail lines back in.

On a lighter note, there was a part of this book that I totally misread. I wasn't reading very closely because the main character was being a doofus. But in my defence, when a teenage boy is said to run off into an alley to "release the zeppelin" after having ridden in a car with a cute girl riding on his lap, I really don't think I can be blamed for my confusion. Turns out he was talking about a fart...I think that is an accurate summary of how doofusy this character was.

In conclusion: this book has potential, a setting I found intriguing, awful doofy characters, a friggin' ridiculous plot line, and reads like it was commissioned by a school to try to make learning about the history of St. Paul kind of "cool."

“

Peggy was real sad so I promised she could be with me when I let Hot-Foot go. I figured he'd have a better chance if I let him go at night, so just before bedtime, I got Peggy and we tiptoed down the back stairway. When she opened the outside door ahead of me she called into the dark alley.

“We've called the police! The Police are on their way, we've called the police!”

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“Scaring away anyone who's lurking in the alley to rob or hurt you.”

I laughed as we crossed the alley.

“There's no one lurking out here to hurt you or anything.”

“You never know,” she said and she followed me closely down the alley.

“Do you always yell that?” I asked.

“Always, every time I come out here in the dark.”

”

pg 64

157 & 168 [GN]

Batman:

No Man's Land

by. DC Comics

After an earthquake rips Gotham City apart, the government declares the city a No Man's Land. They destroy all bridges leading to it and forbid anyone from entering or leaving. In order to survive, various factions (most lead by former super heroes or villains) compete for supplies and territory.

I've known the story of the No Man's Land story arc for many years, but I've never actually read it. I finally decided to give it a go after the new Batman movie borrowed a lot of plot elements from it. And thus I borrowed the first two complete volumes from the library.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about the story arc, but it what it really comes down to is that these complete collections of No Man's Land are a pretty good example of what I hate about superhero comics. They so often have great ideas that are ruined by the cacophony of voices that exists across titles. You've got like 6 different comics all trying to tell stories with the same characters. Everyone's got a different take, everyone's got a different art style. If you had one team working together to tell this story I think it would have been amazing. But as it stands its just disjointed and hard to follow. I still read all the way through it, because the story, at its heart, is fascinating, but there is so much superfluous and contradictory material in these collections.

So yeah, a really, really amazing story idea, with some really, really amazing moments, that was terribly, terribly executed. I would recommend reading a synopsis of the events of No Man's Land instead of reading the actual comics. You'll hear about all the cool things that go down, but won't have to bog through all the muck to do so.

158.

The Rich and the Rest of Us:

A Poverty Manifesto

by. Cornell West & Travis Smiley

An honest look at poverty in America and what we can do about it.

“ 

There are nearly 150 million poor and near poor people in American who are not responsible for the damage done by the Great Recession. Yet they pay the price. The poor did not create the deindustrialization of America, unmatched corporate profiteering and greed, more than a decade of foreign wars, and unregulated tax benefits for the wealthy. When the largest economic institutions in the world were brought to their collective knees, they went crawling to the government's doorstep in search of salvation. The government obliged, allowing Wall Street to socialize its failure on the backs of the Main Street Americans. The housing and job crisis they created fostered a poverty unseen in generations—not just in inner-city ghettos and barrios, but also in suburbs and rural areas crossing racial, age, and gender lines. Nearly one-third of American middle class—mostly families with children—have fallen into poverty. 

”

pg back cover.


This book is pretty fascinating. They make some really interesting points. For instance they mention that the reason politicians are always talking about the Middle Class is because that's a safe thing to say. And yet the real problems aren't with the middle class but are with those in poverty. That by addressing real poverty we'd be able to make things better for everyone.

It also brought some really interesting ideas regarding poverty to light. Like how we've demonized this notion of poverty so much that no one wants to admit to being impoverished, because they think it says something about their character. But if no one admits to being impoverished then there won't be enough voices demanding help for those in poverty.

Like the title suggests, the book lays out a clear look and plan regarding poverty in America. It's a pretty short book and gives you a solid foundation of facts regarding the issues at hand and what can be done about them. I first heard about it when Travis Smiley and Cornell West appeared on The Colbert Report. So if you're the least bit interested I'd highly recommend you check that interview out.

“

Have you ever given thought to those curbside cut-ins on America's streets? Bikers use them, baby strollers and luggage-pushers use them. We use them at hotels, restaurants, airports, and more. Well, they weren't made for everyone. They were designed for the handicapped, but we all benefit. The same applies to the civil rights struggle—Black people benefited but so too did women, Latinos, Asians, and other minority groups.
We bring the curbside cut-ins and the Civil Rights Movement to make two points related to the current battle. First, when poverty ends, everybody wins—the economy of the nation as a whole, all classes, races, creeds, and neighborhoods. Second, to achieve this goal, it's necessary to change the outmoded 20th-century mind-sets, perceptions, and attitudes as we dare to bring the subject of poverty into the mainstream. 

”

pg 148

159.*

Equal Rites

by. Terry Pratchett

The seventh son of a seventh son is always a wizard. And so, an old wizard visits a seventh son family on the night of their seventh child's delivery and bestows it with his power before he dies. However, they all should have looked a little closer, because this seventh son of a seventh son is actually a daughter.

I haven't read any early Pratchett for quite some time, but I wanted to reread this one because the main character made a really interesting appearance in I Shall Wear Midnight.

I've been reading the newer Pratchett stuff for so long, I had kind of completely forgotten what his older stuff was like. This one is the 3rd book in the Discworld series so it is extremely early on and you can really tell. He hasn't quite figured out how to go at things, and the Discworld still hasn't solidified into the believable place it eventually becomes. There's some really odd bits where he makes references to things from reality (like cars and Gandalf), which he never-ever does in the later stuff. If he needs to make a reference to something from real-life he'll make a parodying reference to it through a Disc-filtered version, keeping things in context of the fantasy, instead of going outside of it.

So, I think I've lost my ability to judge this one from an outsider's perspective. It certainly isn't a bad book, it's still a lot of fun, but when you're used to Pratchett's later work this one just can't hold a candle.

“ 

“So,” said Granny, “how goes life?”

The other witch shrugged, causing the drummers to lose their grip again, just when they had nearly climbed back up.

“Like the hurried lover, it comes and goe--” she began, and stopped at Granny's meaningful glance at Esk.

“Not bad, not bad,” she amended.

”

pg 69

160* & 161. [GN]

Amulet

Book 1: The Stonekeeper

Book 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse

by. Kazu Kibuishi

After the death of her husband a woman moves her family to a new house. While exploring the house the woman is kidnapped by a monster and taken to a fantasical world. Now it's up to her two kids to save her. 

I generally really like Kazu Kibuishi's work, but I really don't like this series. I don't like it to the point that I forgot to take down any quotes and now I'm not going to bother going back to find one now. It is an outstandingly cliche Hero's Journey story. It's just so cliche. I was worried that I might overdose on cliche as I read it. The artwork was great, there's some fun imagery and fantasy elements, but in the end the story is just so formulaic that I just can't bring myself to care about any of the characters.

162. [CB]

Bad Kitty

by.

An alliterative alphabet book about a very naughty kitty.

I was taking care of my friend's cat while she was out of town and she left this book out for me to read in case her cat was acting out. I was surprised to find that its actually a pretty fun book. A lot of kids' books that do the whole alliterative alphabet thing usually just go through the list once. And that's because usually this type of book is for beginner readers. A is for Apple. That kind of thing. This one, however, uses more complex words and goes through the alphabet a number of times, each time using a different theme, and each time it fitting into the context of the story. It's a pretty darn fun book. It's definitely a unique little book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

“ 

Kitty was not happy.
Not happy at all.

That's when she decided
she would be a
BAD kitty.

...

She...

Ate my homework
Bit Grandma
Clawed the curtains
Damaged the dishes
Endangered the Goldfish
Flooded the Bathroom
Grappled with guests
Hurled hair balls at our heads

”

Countdown to the End

Back in September my aunt was laid off from the job she's had  for quite some time. For some reason or another during her last days there she sent me the following text:

"hey! request: I need count down numbers from 10 through 1 for my last 2 weeks of work. starting Monday. Would you do this for me? quirky, fun, illustrations, whimsical, silly or whatever...a mixture of all and anything"

I've been pretty busy working 3 jobs and I don't have a lot of free time, but seeing as how she was losing the job she's had for so long, I couldn't really say no.

After bouncing around some ideas I kind of landed on a rather odd line: "as Death said Ten." I played around with the idea a bit until it led me to the final concept: each number would have a little rhyme ending in Death counting down, and the illustration of the rhyme would depict the shape of the number. I wasn't really sure I should take such a morbid view, but I figured while the character of Death might be a bit depressing, at least true to the moment. Things were ending, changing, and nothing depicts change and endings quite like Death.

I'm really not sure why, but I somehow managed to take a rather basic task and making it so much more complicated by adding a writing element, a design element, and an illustrative element...sometimes I think I must really hate myself, because why else would I do these things to myself?

Regardless, here's the countdown:

It was at this point that my aunt mentioned that they had let her leave a couple days early and thus what I was doing was no longer a countdown. And since it was no longer a countdown I immediately lost the fuel of urgency that had propelled me to make the rest. Before I might have wanted to read a book or watch a show, but I instead used my time to make these because they felt like they mattered. No to mention that there's nothing like a time limit to force you to push something out. But once I lost that aspect, then instead of completing them for my aunt, I would just be completing them for the novelty of a complete set. And, sadly, it probably says something about my character that I quit the project. But those are the breaks. I really don't have much free time these days and I generally need to use what time I do have to prevent myself from going crazy.

I am disappointed to leave it uncompleted, but without that original drive the ending notes just wouldn't be fitting.

Movie List 2012: August

* = rewatched

August

13.*

Hot Rod

A misfit stuntman tries to raise money for his dying stepfather.

Genre: Wonderfully Silly Comedy


Yeah, that's right, I watched this one again. One of my friends had never seen it and that seemed like something that needed to be rectified. I already talked about this one back when I watched it in January [ML2012 #13], but I can muster up some more.

I love this movie because I find it to be a perfect amount of silly. Unlike something like Zoolander which opens the flood gates of ridiculousness and never shuts off the valve, Hot Rod's silliness ebbs and flows. It moves between quirky and silly, hilarious and heart felt. And that just makes it all the funnier, because then you get laughs coming out of unexpected situations. I love the little quiet moments in the movie that come right before its best jokes.

What can I say? It's a little dumb, extremely silly, and it makes me laugh every time.

87.*

Hear No Evil, See No Evil

A blind man and a deaf man are suspects in a murder investigation. If they want to get out of this mess alive they're going to have to solve the case and clear their names by themselves.

Genre: 80's Buddy Comedy


If you were to tell me there was a new movie coming out about a blind man and a deaf man who try to solve a murder, I would tell you that that sounds like a terrible idea. And you know what? If this movie was made today, it would suck out loud. Yet this movie's from 1989 and guess what? It's brilliant.

First of all look at the main characters: Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. If I had never seen this movie before I would watch it just to see what that team-up was like (hint: it's hilarious). Not only are they both amazing comedians in their own right, but I love that they're so different. They have very unique styles and yet they work well together. It makes their characters seem all the more like real people, unlike movies where the writer's style is omnipresent across all the characters' voices.

The weird thing is I first saw this movie as a kid and I enjoyed it just as much then as I do now. But when I was a kid I definitely didn't notice how raunchy it is, and by raunchy I mean they make a few jokes about sex and erections, and like so many 80's comedies there's a scene of some naked boobs as well. Yet none of it is gratuitous: it all makes a lot of sense within the context of the scene.  And that's one of the things I like about it. I mean adults make references to those things, they exist, it makes sense for such things to pop up from time to time.

It's funny, and it stars two infamous comedians, and with a premise like this you can't tell me you aren't a little bit curious.

88.*

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The story of King Arthur, his Knights of the Round Table, and their divine quest to find the holy grail...in a manner of speaking.

Genre: Classic British Comedy


First of all, this movie is comedically brilliant. It's so insanely clever and the scenes in it are all so memorable.

But therein lies the problem. This was the first time I had seen this movie in many, many years and yet I think I could still reconstruct this movie for someone nearly scene for scene, nearly joke for joke. I probably have to blame this on the fact that when I was a kid people would not stop quoting this movie. I mean, yes, Monty Python is brilliant, but come on. There are other brilliant things out there. Let's quote something else for a while. And before you say it, Yes, I do realize that I'm being a total hypocrite because I'm always quoting The Simpsons.  But at least I quote The Simpsons and others. I swear there were some kids in high school who would quote this thing exclusively.

Now, why am I talking about this crap, instead of the movie? Because it's frickin' Monty Python and the Holy Grail! A frighteningly large number of kids found this movie to be so funny that they quoted it for years and years. I shouldn't have to say anything about classic movies, because you should have all seen them already. I mean, what's next? First you want me to tell you about Holy Grail, then next thing I know you'll be wanting me to tell you all about A Charlie Brown Christmas. I feel like an idiot sitting here and telling you these things. If you haven't seen this movie by now, I doubt I'm going to convince you to now.

It's a very funny movie, freakishly memorable, and I doubt I'll ever own it because I can remember the entire thing and thus generally have no reason to watch it.

89.*

Ernest Goes to Jail

Ernest P. Worrell is a lovable loser, but when he gets called for jury duty the crook on trial realizes that Ernest is the perfect double for the prison's most notorious inmate. The look-a-like manages to swap places with Ernest, and now he's got to find a way to get out of jail before that crook can hurt the people Ernest cares about.

Genre: Silly-Dumb Kids' Movie


Most of the things I said about Ernest Goes to Camp can be said about this one as well. Jim Varney is the sole reason to watch this movie. Pretty much all the other characters are annoying or bland...or annoying & bland. But Jim Varney makes me laugh. Even if he's doing some dumb slapstick bit that's obviously aiming at children, I still have to smile a little because he's so expressive while doing it.

I know I railed on Ernest Goes to Camp a little bit, but this one made me appreciate it more. Ernest Goes to Camp had a lot more characters for Ernest to bounce off of, a much bigger story, and a better backstory for Ernest. In Camp Ernest wants to be a camp counselor and that makes a lot of sense: He likes kids, he likes helping people, and he likes being trusted with important jobs. However, in Ernest Goes to Jail he dreams of being a banker...and I honestly can't figure out why. It really doesn't fit his character at all. Plus there are a number of bits in Goes to Jail that are just odd. It seems like a lot of stuff was shoved in willy-nilly. Lots of odd plot things too, like Ernest gets magnetized when he gets shocked with electricity? Why? Oh, because you needed to fill up some space with easy jokes, and you needed a deus ex machina in order to set-up the ending.

So, yeah, it definitely is far from the best. And yet, I did enjoy the movie. I just couldn't help myself. While most of it is pretty bland and dumb, there are a number of scenes that are just pure genius. I mean, there's a scene where Ernest is in the jury box listening to the case as he chews on a pen, and the pen breaks, and he's trying desperately to look nonchalant as he's got ink everywhere; it cracks me up so hard. The scenes like that one were just priceless, you guys. Priceless.

90.*

Back to the Future II

Doc Brown returns from the future to tell Marty that his future family is in danger. But when their time machine falls into the wrong hands, Marty and the Doc must travel all over time to set things right.

Genre: Time-travel Comedy Sequel


Back to the Future II is no Back to the Future. That's not to say that it isn't a fun movie, but it is to say that the original was a masterpiece and this one's...this one's a sequel. It definitely has that feeling of trying to cash in on the notoriety of the first one. Lot's of homages to past scenes and what not.

Anyways, it's still a really fun movie. And like the first one it's quite dark. When Marty and the Doc fracture the timeline, they end up creating a pretty dark world. It's kind of like a kid-friendly The Butterfly Effect in a way.

But I don't know. It's a really odd movie, and there really aren't any sequels like it. Part of it seems like a superfluous cash-in on a popular franchise, part of it cleverly weaves itself into an extension of the first movie, and part of it seems like an original dark-yet-kid-friendly story about time travel gone wrong.

I think what it comes down to is that if you liked Back to the Future, you'll probably enjoy this movie too. It won't impress you as much as the original did, but you'll get a kick out of it. If nothing else you'll enjoy references to the original as well as the 1980's view of the future which is hilariously off base. It's like the 80s on space steroids. I laughed out loud when they show that the house of the future is still using fax machines.

91.

Hope Springs

An old married couple go to couple's counseling in order to try to bring intimacy back into their marriage.

Genre: Senior Citizen Romantic Drama


I know this is a bit of a cop out, but I don't think I'm qualified in any way to rate this movie. I am so very clearly outside of its target audience. I'm not a senior citizen and I have extremely limited relationship experience, let alone marriage, let alone 30+ years of marriage. Considering those are the main themes of the movie I think its safe to say that I can't relate. So who am I to judge it when I have no idea how well it handled those themes?

I will, however, say that this movie is a lot less funny than the trailer depicted it as. I mean, sure it has its comedic moments, but overall this movie is a pretty heavy drama. It also discusses sexual topics much more than I was expecting. Both of which seem like things people should know about it. I mean, at the theater I work at we had a family come in who apparently didn't realize what kind of a movie it was and they brought their 10 year old along for. Surprisingly they actually made it 40 minutes into the movie before they walked out; and you can bet they had to field some rather interesting questions on the ride home.

The movie stars Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep, and by "stars" I mean that they're practically the only actors in it. Sure there's a couple people here and there, and Steve Carell has some bits, but really Jones and Streep carry most of the movie by themselves. And as you'd expect they do a great job.

I will also say that although Streep's character is supposed to be the most sympathetic one, I personally found Jones' character to be the more sympathetic one. Streep's character did a lot whining, but it seemed that she was equally to blame and yet that fact was often glossed over.

So yeah, I don't know. I saw it because it was free and I was in the mood to see a movie. And it was kind of interesting and mostly enjoyable. So mission accomplished.

92.

Paranorman

Norman is a young boy who can talk to ghosts. This, however, makes him come off as crazy to rest of the world who can't. Yet, now the dead are rising from their graves and Norman is the only one who can save the town from its haunting past.

Genre: Claymated Supernatural Adventure


I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but it contained a ton of elements that I like: zombies, the supernatural, claymation, jokes. Plus I had heard some really positive things about it and I was really curious to see what it was like. It far exceeded my expectations. Not only is the movie super cute, but the messages behind it are wonderful. It takes the plot in some directions I didn't see coming. The movie is kind of like what you'd get if you combined The Goonies, Doctor Who, and Hocus Pocus.

The only real complaint I have is that the art is both amazingly original and occasionally distracting. For instance I love the art style going on in the movie, and since claymation is so rare, it was a breath of fresh air seeing something done in clay, but not done in Burton or even Aardman's styles. And with that being said, the way a couple of the female characters have the most unnatural heads I have ever seen. I tried to look past it, but I couldn't. It is just bizarre. I can't even describe them properly. But if you watch the movie you'll see what I mean.

Similarly the animation was both amazing and slightly lazy. The action scenes were smooth, they took chances, they incorporated some really amazing effects, and they were just an absolute pleasure to watch. And yet a lot of the slower scenes seemed like they weren't being animating with as many frames and thus they seemed a little choppy. And choppy animation always slightly ruins the illusion of animation by reminding the viewer of the process. I don't really mind because I find the process fascinating, but I can see why it'd be a significant bother to some people.

I don't want to end this review on me complaining, so once again I'd like to say how much I love this movie. I saw it weeks ago and yet I've still got scenes from it replaying in my mind, and imagery bouncing around my imagination. It works on multiple levels and I think adults will enjoy it just as much as kids. If I get a chance I'd like to see it in theaters again, because some of those scenes looked so great on the big screen.

Timecard Typography: Jan-Sep 2012

You may recall that I try to write my name on my theater timecard in a different style every time we get new ones. However, this year I've been absolutely terrible at remembering to take pictures of them. It hasn't helped that with my other jobs I've had a lot less hours over there. But regardless of my excuses, I don't have picture of over half the ones from this year. I really need to start carrying my camera with me wherever I go.

I always hate to lose a timecard to the ether, but those are the breaks. What's really sad is that most of the ones I do have were taken on my phone, and my phone takes terrible pictures. And I just got a new phone recently and apparently it takes unusably terrible pictures (guess which photo it is!)

But without further ado, here they are.

Book List 2012: Part 13

* = reread

GN = Graphic Novel or Comic Anthology
CB = Children's Book

140.

I Suck at Girls

by. Justin Halper

The man behind Sh*t My Dad Says recounts the humorous history of his relationships with women over the years.

You've heard about Sh*t My Dad Says, right? It's that popular twitter account wherein Justin Halper quotes all the hilarious things his dad says. It was such a big thing that they even made a terrible TV show out of it starring William Shatner?

Anyways, when I heard that he had a non-Sh*t My Dad Says book out, I was curious to see if he had any talent, or if his only talent was quoting his father. And as it turns out he does have some talent.

Although if I'm going to be honest then I have to admit that the best parts of this book are by far the parts about his father. But I quite enjoyed the other parts as well. He's brutally honest about his forays with women even when that means telling terribly embarrassing stories about himself.

Sadly, if I'm still being honest here, I have to admit that I found his terribly embarrassing stories with women to be all too relatable...

...although his story ends with him being married...

...well played, Mr. Halper. Well played.

“

Every day for the next two weeks, my dad went to work at six in the morning so he could leave early, come home, and give me a driving lesson before sunset. He began each lesson by announcing a theme for the day. Among them were “A car is a murder weapon,” “Announce your presence with fucking authority,” and my personal favorite: “Your mother is bleeding to death.”

He said this late one afternoon as I pulled the truck out of the driveway. “If the shit goes down and you need to be across town in ten minutes without breaking the law, can...you...do it?” he added, lifting his eyebrows.

“I would just call 911 if that happened.”

“Right. That's a fair point. But just bear with me, okay?”

“Okay, but that's not the kind of driving I'm going to have to do for the test.”

“No. But I'm not teaching you to pass the test. I'm teaching you how to drive. Driving is not always a stroll through the woods with your pants down. Now, I want you get from here to Clairemont in less than ten minutes. No illegal shit.”

“Clairemont's ten miles away. I don't--”

“Clock starts in three, two, one!” he yelled, looking at his watch.

“Dad. This is not a helpful driving lesson.”

“Nine fifty-nine, nine fifty-eight, nine-fifty seven, CLOCK IS RUNNING GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO!”

”

pg- 57-58

141.

Comedy of Doom

by. Joseph Scrimshaw

A collection of comedy writing relating to the wide world of geekdom.

“To me, the word “geek” is sort of like Luke Skywalker going into the dark cave on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. The only things it means are the things you bring with you.”

pg 6

Right off the bat if you're on Twitter you should be following Joseph Scrimshaw. He is one of my absolute favorite tweeters. Seriously, do yourself a favor and follow him.

I first learned about him when I saw his play Sexy Librarian: File Under Rock Musical and I've been keeping tabs on him since. So when I learned of his Kickstarter to get a book made I was all over that.

And the book did not disappoint. So if you love geeky things like Dr. Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, D&D, and the like, then I strongly recommend you check this book out. I mean just look at some of the chapter's titles: “Emotional Preparation for the Zombie Apocalypse,” “Sense and Seven Minutes in Heaven,” “Super Mario Subtext,” “Literature with Emoticons,” “Dystopian Kegger,” and “You Are An Awful Human Being!”

If you read those and find yourself intrigued than this is definitely the book for you.

“ 

I would like to introduce you to my favorite television show exactly as it was introduced to me. Imagine one day, your older brother tells you this guy at school says there’s an awesome science fiction show that plays every Friday and Saturday night on the Sesame Street channel.

You had no idea the Sesame Street channel even broadcast after 10 a.m., but you and your brother stay up late and tune in. Like literally tune in. You have to turn a PHYSICAL dial and adjust AN ANTENNA. Like you’re a steampunk or something.

Suddenly the opening credits come on. You are flying down a tunnel. It’s disturbingly similar to the video you saw in health class of a camera traveling through a urethra. The music is creepy, cool, and funny all at the same time, like if Al Yankovic wrote the music for your funeral. Then you watch as monsters come on the screen. Monsters outfitted with guns, toilet plungers, and bumps that look like the robot version of an STD outbreak. They match wits with a charming man whose nose is so large he would not be allowed on American television unless he was playing a serial killer or perhaps a defense attorney. You watch again on Saturday night and see an entirely different charming man with an entirely different giant nose.

And you wonder: What the hell is this?

”

pg 11-12

142.

The Rise and Fall of the Bible:

The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book

by. Timothy Beal

A look the history of the bible and of people's perception of the bible.

“Many will be surprised to realize that there never has been a time when we could really talk about the Bible in the singular. There is no such thing as the Bible in that sense, and there never has been. The Bible has always been a legion, a multiplicity of forms and contents, with no original to be found. In the early Judaism and Christianity, there were many different scrolls and codices, variously collected and shared in many different versions, with no standard edition. Even in the early centuries of the print era, after Gutenberg, we find a burgeoning Bible-publishing industry with literally thousands of different editions and versions. The difference between Bible publishing then and now is a matter of degree more than kind.”
pg 22


I think a lot of people assume I'm an Atheist for some reason, but I'm not. So to set the record straight I would label myself as a Christian Humanist. I'm not sure if that's a real designation, but it feels right. I believe Jesus was divine, not in the sense that he was the son of God, but in the sense that his actions and his ideals represent one of the purest distillations of what makes humanity divine. Likewise I don't believe the bible is a literal rulebook from the mouth of God, but instead just a book of ideas and metaphors that can be used to make sense of the world.

I came across this book at work while sorting the New Book shelf at the library. And it caught my eye. “The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book”. Since I've always thought it bizarre that anyone could think of the bible as the word of God, when it was edited and compiled by a bunch of biased people, I decided I should put my knowledge where my mouth is and see what the actual history of the book was.

In short, the book really is quite fascinating. It isn't a very long book and wasn't as thorough as I would have hoped, but it is fascinating. It talks not only about the history of the book, but also the history of the perceptions of it. And there are all sorts of fascinating ideas in here. Regardless of your religion the bible has had and continues to have a huge impact on the world and I would definitely recommend you give the book a gander if only to gain an idea about its history and the history of people's perceptions of it.

While I would've liked a large academic book on the subject, I've gotta admit that the lighter engaging style of this book is perfect for an introduction to the subject. It's short and interesting and I would recommend you give it a look.

“ 

Likewise when John of Patmos, in an ancient attempt at divine copyright protection written at the end of the book of Revelation (aka the Apocalypse of John), promises plagues of apocalyptic proportions for anyone who dares change a thing in “this book”:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [biblion]: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18—19)

This passage is often used to argue that the Bible claims its own authority, that its perfect inerrancy is built in, and that messing with even one jot or tittle of it is grounds for damnation. But just because this writing, originally a scroll (biblion, like the scroll of Isaiah that Jesus read), eventually ended up as the last book of the New Testament and thus the Christian Bible doesn't mean that its warning here refers to the whole Bible. “This scroll” (a more accurate and less misleading translation) circulated independently for hundreds of years before it was bound together in a big book along with what eventually became the Christian canon of Scripture. Indeed, its inclusion in the canon was a matter of dispute among many Christian leaders well into the fourth century. And its author could never have even imagined such a thing as the Bible. Not even in his wildest dreams. And some of his dreams were wild indeed, including one in which an angel hands him a little scroll, not to read but to eat. No, this earning refers not to the Bible but to this particular text.

”

pg 107

143.

Pitch:

Poems

by. Todd Bass

A collection of poems.

“

A Waltz for the Lovelorn

Like foot-worn wooden floors

that ache in common places,

the hearts of the lovelorn groan

as, through their paces, again

and again their roomers pass.

Isn't there a music—strings—

in the way an old floor sings?

And oh, but to leave our porches

and step into the grass! to bear

on our shoulders no more

than moonlight, and to settle,

suspended awhile!—to smile

at the weightlessness of things—

as children do,

               on swings—

”

pg 106


Do I really need to say anything about a book of poems? Poetry is a lot more about personal taste than prose. But personally, I loved this one. Personally I'd strongly recommend you go out and read it post-haste. Personally, I'll tell you that it single-handedly made me feel better when I was having a terrible day. But hey, that's just me.

Although you should know that his poems about love are some of the sweetest things ever. So take from that what you will. Here's another example of his poetry for you.

“ 

My Love for You Is So Embarrassingly

grand...would you mind terribly, my groundling,

if I compared it to the Hindenburg (I mean,

before it burned)—that vulnerable, elephantine

dream of transport, a fabric Titanic on an ocean

of air? There: with binoculars, dear, you can

just make me out, in a gondola window, wildly

flapping both arms as the ship's shadow

moves like a vagrant country across the

country where you live in relative safety. I pull

that oblong shadow along behind me wherever

I go. It is so big, and goes so slowly, it alters

ground temperature noticeably, makes

housewives part kitchen curtains, wrings

whimpers from German shepherds. Aren't I

ridiculous? Isn't it anachronistic, this

dirigible devotion, this Zeppelin affection, a moon

that touches, with a kiss of wheels, the ground

you take for granted beneath your heels?— 

”

pg 60

144.

The Long Earth

by. Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter

What would happen if there was an endless frontier? Infinite resources and space? Well the world starts finding out when it discovers a new technology called The Stepper that allows them to step into a seemingly endless chain of worlds. An infinity of Earths. And yet Joshua doesn't need the technology, because he is a natural stepper. But in this brave new world of endless land, this makes him a little too well known and certain powerful players want to use his abilities for their own ends.

Terry Pratchett may be my favorite author, but I was a little leery about this one, because of his last team-up: the Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman team-up of Good Omens. So, as you can imagine, I went into this one with reserved expectations. And now I have to feel bad about that because this book was pretty amazing.

What really took me by surprise was the fact that the book really doesn't focus on the main storyline at all. The true nature of the book is to explore the idea of the Long Earth and that wonderful Science Fiction question of "What if?" If anything the Long Earth is the main character and Joshua is merely a tool used to help us explore that character. While Joshua is prominent within the story, many parts of the book aren't about him at all, and instead choose to show us some new aspect of this fascinating world.

At first I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to this decision and was confused why the book didn't simply follow Joshua exclusively. But as the book went on I found myself loving this approach, because it allows the book to address all the fascinating ideas and question that arise out of this world. What if humanity had all the land it could ever want? What would life be like on the frontiers of these new worlds, how would they be policed, what would the journeys across thousands of worlds be like, how do the worlds differ? What kind of creatures exist on these worlds? How would humanity handle the differences between Natural Steppers, Assisted Steppers, and Non-Steppers?

And really that's what makes the book so fascinating. I've really got to give it to these authors because the way they structured their story is really satisfying and it really invests you into this fascinating idea. I've also gotta say that this partnership really works well. I think the elements of Stephen Baxter were able to give the story that anchor into reality and hard science, while the elements of Terry Pratchett give a sense of fun and wonder. And they really compliment each other wonderfully.

The biggest gripe I can come up with is that there better be a sequel in the works, because this one ends on a cliffhanger and it would be terribly cruel to end things that way.

“

Earths, untold Earths. More Earths than could be counted, some said. And all you had to do was walk sideways into them one after the next, an unending chain.

This was a source of immense irritation for experts such as Professor Wotan Ulm of Oxford University. “All these parallel Earths,” he told BBC, “are identical on all but the detailed level. Oh, save that they are empty. Well, actually they are full, mainly of forests and swamps. Big, dark, silent forests, deep clinging, lethal swamps. But empty of people. The Earth is crowded, but the Long Earth is empty. This is tough luck on Adolf Hitler, who hasn't been allowed to win his war anywhere.”

It is hard for scientists even to talk about the Long Earth without babbling about m-brane manifolds and quantum multiverses. Look: perhaps the universe bifurcates every time a leaf falls, a billion new branches every instant. That's what quantum physics seems to tell us. Oh, it is not a question of a billion realities to be experience, the quantum states superimpose, like harmonics on a single violin string. But perhaps there are times—when you can get a separate experimental reality,a braid of quantum threads. And perhaps these braids are then drawn together through some high dimension by similarity, and a chain of worlds, self-organizes. Or something! Maybe it is all a dream, a collective imagining of mankind.

”

pg 7

145.* [CB]

The Dangerous Alphabet

by. Neil Gaiman

illustrated by. Chris Crimly

An Alphabet Book about two children and their pet gazelle who journey into a world of dangerous pirates and monsters.

I bought this book at a Borders because it was going out of business and it was really cheap. But it was a pretty fun find. I always love when kids' book get a little dark. The rhymes are clever and the art is really interesting and it's a kids' alphabet book so really you can't ask for much more than that.

“

G is for Good, as in hero, and Morning;

H is for “Help me!"—a cry and a warning;

I am the author who scratches theses rhymes;

J is the joke monsters make of their crimes.

”

146. [CB]

Action Alphabet

by. Marty Neumeier & Byron Glaser

A typographical alphabet book.

As you may know, I'm interested in typography. I'm not in deep enough to be able to tell you what some specific font is, but deep enough to be annoyed at bad ones. Anyways, I stumbled across a kids' book that was said to feature the alphabet using interesting typography. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

This was a mistake. This book is terrible...and that's saying something because it's an alphabet book so there's really not all that much of it. The crux of it is they have their letter, then they have a word that starts with that letter, and they'll use that letter in such a way to have acting out that word. Like I think for N the word was Net and then they showed a net made out of a bunch of N's. Unfortunately (luckily) I can't really remember most of them, because the majority of them were powerfully stupid.

The worst part is that this could have been really cool! For each letter you could show off an element of typography that starts with that letter. Or you could feature a font that starts with that letter, maybe with an interesting and fitting background? Like C could be Courier and the picture for that page would be a typewriter with the word Courier typed out on the page. I dunno, there's a million fun things you could do with this, but instead they made this and heaven help them.

In short, to read this book would be a...

“Mm: Mistake”

147.

A Swift Pure Cry

by. Siobhan Dowd

A teenage girl in Ireland finds herself pregnant and with no one to turn to.

You may recall that I had some very nice things to say about the book A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness [BL 2012 #107]. You may also recall that the idea for A Monster Calls was Siobhan Dowd's, but that she died before she got a chance to write it. Since I had gone and read something else by Patrick Ness I figured I should read something by Siobhan Dowd as well.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. On one hand I thought the revelation at the end was entirely predictable and the main character wasn't very relatable. But on the other hand there were a ton of bizarre things that happen that kept me wondering where on Earth the story was going. And in the end I found myself curious enough to keep on reading. The best way I can put it is that the story isn't that great, but it's told very well. And for a short book like this one, that can be fine.

“ 

The place brought to mind a sinking ship. Wood creaked on the floor, across the pews, up in the gallery. Around the walls, a fierce March wind chased itself.

The congregation launched into the Our Father as if every last soul was going down. Heaven. Bread. Trespass. Temptation. The words whisked past Shell's ears like rabbits vanishing into their holes. She tried wriggling her nose to make it slimmer. Evil. Mrs McGrath's hat lurched in front of her, its feather looking drunk: three-to-one odds it would fall off. Declan Ronan, today's altar boy, was examining the tabernacle, licking his lips with half-shut eyes. Whatever he was thinking, it wasn't holy.

” 

pg 3

148.

The Future of Us

by. Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

It's 1996 and two friends find themselves able to log onto a strange website called “Facebook.” What's really weird is that people are on there with their names and faces...except 20 years older. Now these friends have a way of peering into the future, but it seems the future has ways of drastically changing how they see the present.

Okay, I had to read this one based on the premise alone, because that sounds so many kinds of ridiculous. But, yeah, it really isn't very good. I mean it's terribly predictable and cliched.

So instead I will complain about this book's incessant need to describe a million and one things that you don't need to know. I think they felt that you might forget that this was the 90s, so they insist on pointing out a ton of 90s things. She grabs her Discman, they're watching Seinfeld, oh now someone's listening to Nirvana. In any normal book you'd probably make a vague reference to what's on the radio or TV, but not here! And if that wasn't enough the authors have a ton of additional details beyond references. Take this for example, “I grab another slice of pizza and transfer it onto my plate.” Why wouldn't you just write: “I grab another slice of pizza”? Why does the plate matter? Hell, why not take it even further? “I grab another slice of pizza with my right hand and transfer it onto my plate then promptly bring the plate nearer to my mouth so as to prevent any accidental spills on my clothes.” The reader can fill in the basic details, folks! You don't need to hold our hand through everything. Jimminy Christmas, I think people know how people eat pizza.

To be fair I should mention that I'm extremely biased against this book. I'm biased because this book had the gall to write this:

“His eyes notice something behind me, and then he tosses up his hands in exasperation. "I told the interns not to leave empty carts near the copy machine. People set their books there and don't return them to the shelves.”
pg 124

What...the...f*ck...

WHAT THE F*CK!? Have you ever been in a library before? Librarians do not, I repeat, DO NOT want people to reshelve the books themselves. You will see signs all over libraries begging people not to try to reshelve the books themselves. In fact most libraries put empty carts near the copy machines explicitly because they want people to set their books there and not try to return them to the shelves. Why? #1 Because most people don't know the organizational systems well enough and put things back wrong, and #2 Because it gives the library an idea of what books people are looking at in the library.

...WHAT KIND OF AUTHORS ARE THAT IGNORANT ABOUT LIBRARIES!!?

UGH!

So...anyways. This book is kind of dumb.

“ 

We're eating on TV trays while watching Seinfeld. They record it on the VCR every Thursday and then watch it on Sunday night. I grab another slice of pizza and transfer it onto my plate.

”

149. [GN]

Animal Man, vol 1:

The Hunt

by. Jeff Lemire

pencils by. Travel Foreman

Buddy Baker, a former superhero, has the ability to borrow the abilities of the animals. His daughter Maxine has started to show similar abilities, but her powers are exponentially beyond anything he's capable of. Now a wicked primeval force has taken notice. It's out to capture and corrupt her to gain her power and Buddy is the only one who can protect his daughter long enough for her to learn to control her powers...or can he?

This is the first trade paperback from the new Animal Man series. It's part of DC's New 52.

(For those of you who don't follow comic news, DC Comics revamped a bunch of their series in an attempt to give new readers a place to start without needing to know years and years of back story.)

I had heard a lot of talk about this one. Plus it's written by Jeff Lemire and as you know I've been all over his work recently (Tales from the Farm [BL2012 #89], Sweet Tooth [BL2012 #91], The Nobody [BL2012 #129]. So I figured I'd give it a try it out and DAMN.

It was definitely not what I was expecting. Jeff Lemire has managed to make one of the world's dumbest super heroes fascinating. It's a fantasy story with an epic scope. And what's more it's dark. It is so insanely dark! You've got a little girl reanimating people's decomposing dead pets and turning people's arms into chicken legs. You've got hippos giving birth to hideous flesh monsters. Buddy Baker's over there bleeding from his eyes. I mean DAMN! It's like The Thing crossed with The Fly up in here. Travel Foreman does a killer job on the imagery. Top notch stuff.

I've got a copy of this book ordered at my local comic book shop, because I've gotta own this thing. I mean dark fantasy crossed with super heroes? You know I'm all for that.

“

“Come on, daddy, it's time to go!”

“Maxine!? Go? Go where?”

“You'll see. But we gotta hurry, before they follow us again.”

“Who? Who's following us, Maxine?”

“The bad things that dress as men. The hunters.”

“Wait up, sweetie. We need to slow down...figure this out.”

“No time for that, daddy. You need to shut off your brain. Be an animal like me and Mr. Woofers. It's the only way to survive out here.”

“Oh, God! Maxine, wait, don't go in there...

...that's blood!”

“Well, of course it is, silly. Where else would we hide? Don't worry, we just need to follow the tree and we'll be okay. Look.”

“Huh!? What's happened to me?”

“It's them. Too late. We're all going to die now.”

“But--what...what are they?”

“WE ARE ROT IN RED.”
“WE ARE FLESH MADE SICKNESS.”
“WE ARE YOUR CHILD'S TRUE FATHERS...THE HUNTERS THREE.”

“NO!”

”