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Everlost_MI
03-12-2006, 06:39 AM
Welcome to week eleven of Evil Avatar’s Weekly Comic Book Reviews.

The Evil Avatar’s Weekly Comic Book Review column features a monthly giveaway where a randomly drawn winner gets to choose four comics from a list of what BCBcomics (http://www.bcbcomics.com/) has in stock. BCBcomics offer comic book subscriptions (http://www.bcbcomics.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=7
) with many fringe benefits including no hidden costs, 30-35% off of cover price (depending on the publisher), all issues are bagged, boarded and offer cheap* shipping on all orders (*see BCBcomics’ website (http://www.bcbcomics.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=7
) for the details). In addition, the comics featured on BCBcomics home page are 50% off or just $1 if you’re a subscriber. The list is in the neighborhood of 200 to 400 titles that will be emailed to the lucky winner after the drawing.

One entry submission is allowed per week. The deadline of entry submissions for week eleven is midnight EST on Sunday, March 19th. The selection of the random winner for the March books will occur on Monday, March 26th. Click here (everlost_mi@evilavatar.com) to submit your entry and don’t forget to include your Evil Avatar screenname. Remember, submit an entry each week to increase your chances of winning.

Remember, these are NOT spoiler-free reviews.

Everlost_MI
03-12-2006, 06:40 AM
Week Eleven:
Evil Avatar's Weekly Comic Book Reviews – Year 2 - Week 11
By Everlost_MI (Brian K. Nichols), Editor in Chief

American Virgin #1 (An ongoing series)
Publisher: DC Comics/Veritgo
Writer: Steven T. Seagle
Artist: Becky Cloonan
Colorist: Brian Miller
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Cover: Frank Quitely
Editor: Shelly Bond
Price: $2.99 US/$4.00 CAN

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/americanvirgin1.jpg

The series revolves around a charming twenty-year-old virgin youth minister named Adam Chamberlain who’s spearheading and practicing a virginity movement in his message. Adam’s parents are behind the scenes directing the ministry and pulling his strings as they ride his coattail. Various sexual advances are made by those he’s preaching to including a stripper his cousins hired to seduce him, but Adam stays true to his vow of saving himself for his marriage to his girlfriend Cassandra. Cassandra was in Africa serving in the Peace Corps but as the issue ends Adam finds out that a terrorist group killed her. Now faced with that monumental loss of his romantic and spiritual anchor, as he claims God told him that Cassie was the only one for him, the future isn’t quite as certain as Adam thought it was.

Steven T. Seagle and Becky Cloonan have created an interesting storyline and characters out of something that could have easily died coming out of the gate. Seagle has been able to add depth to Adam by showing he’s genuine in his beliefs and efforts while still showing that he is human. And by being human he’s doing all he can to not to give in to his needs by rising above it even when temptation is thrust in his face. Now with the tables turned, it will be interesting to see if Adam is made of sterner stuff. Cloonan’s artwork is reminiscent of Pia Guerra’s work on Y: The Last Man. It’s clean and expressive without distracting the audience from the script.

Bottom Line:
The issue was far more enjoyable than I anticipated and the series has potential depending on what Seagle does with the seeds he’s planted. I would agree with DC/Veritgo’s promotion that the title is somewhat similar to Y: The Last Man in various aspects but it’s too early to tell if the same magic runs through this book. In any case, I would recommend this book to Vertigo fans and those looking for a strong dramatic story rooted in real life events.

Rating: 4 out of 5 EvilEyes
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/icons/e4.jpg


Fantastic Four: First Family #1 of 6
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Joe Casey
Pencils: Chris Weston
Inks: Gary Erskine
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Breevort
Price: $2.99 US/$4.25 CAN

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/fantastic4family1.jpg

This miniseries explores/retells what happen to the Fantastic Four immediately after their fateful rocket flight test crash-landed back on Earth. The four are separated as the government quarantines them in an effort to sort out what happened and what to do with them. As the four are dealing with their changes in their own way, it appears to observers that Reed is in a catatonic state from the shock of his failed experiment. However, he’s actually involved in a mental conversation with Professor Stahl who is also being held at the same facility as the Fantastic Four and a former lab assistant named Raymond Perry. After being exposed to the same cosmic radiation from working on a meteorite, Stahl and Perry have under gone their own transformations and are under quarantine as well. It appears that Stahl has his own agenda and will use Perry, Reed and any other means to escape from his prison.

Joe Casey is trying to create another layer to the Fantastic Four mythos by inserting this storyline in their past. The characterizations are enjoyable and on the mark as Reed is agonizing over his mistake that caused the accident while Sue is trying her best to make sure everyone is comforted. Chris Weston’s artwork is enjoyable and detailed as it provides a good fit for Casey’s script.

Bottom Line:
As of this issue, it appears this is a story that didn’t necessarily needed to be told but it’s still somewhat enjoyable. This series won’t truly add anything to the forty plus years of Fantastic Four stories but it will give readers a way to travel back to the initial days of the team. So for hard core Fantastic Four fans, I am sure this will find a way in your collection but as it stands even for those fans I would save your money for the trade paperback or for the more groundbreaking upcoming miniseries of Death in The Family. ( http://marvel.com/catalog/?id=4227)

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 EvilEyes
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/icons/e2_5.jpg

Masters of Horror #3 (Ongoing series)
Publisher: IDW Pubishing
Adapted by: Ivan Brandon
Art and Colors by: Dennis Calero
Cover Art: Ben Templesmith
Lettered by: Tom B. Long
Edited by: Chris Ryall
Price: $3.99 US

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/masterofhorror3.jpg

This series from IDW offer adaptations of the Masters of Horror (http://mastersofhorror.net/) one-hour movie serials that are being shown on Showtime. This issue marks the initial part of the movie adaptation “Dreams in the Witch-House” originally written by H.P. Lovecraft, then adapted to the screen by Dennis Paoli and Stuart Gordon and directed by Stuart Gordon. Without trying to rewrite the synopsis (http://www.tv.com/masters-of-horror/dreams-in-the-witch-house/episode/438015/summary.html) of the story, movie and comic, TV.Com (http://www.tv.com/) has done it for me.

Walter Gilman, a college student rents a loft in a building in the New England town of Arkham. While studying interdimensional string theory at college he is haunted by nightmares of a 17th century witch and her rat with a human face. He must prevent the death of his neighbor’s baby at the hands of these forces while it’s possible he could become the murderer himself.

Unfortunately without having seen the movie or read the original short story I cannot truthfully comment on how well the adaptation by Ivan Brandon is. However, I can state that the pacing and panel layouts of the adaptation are excellent. In addition, the use of shadows, color and artwork by Dennis Calero is superb by adding layers of suspense and eeriness to the script.

Bottom Line:
If you enjoy Lovecraft or horror stories, this is an excellent issue. As a Lovecraft virgin, this issue alone has sparked my interest in Lovecraft’s literary work and finding a copy of this movie.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 EvilEyes
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/icons/e4_5.jpg

What else is worth reading this week…

· The Exterminators #3 – This title gets better with every issue.

Thanks to Marvel ( http://marvel.com/) for the Fantastic Four: Death In The Family link. ( http://marvel.com/catalog/?id=4227) As well as TV.com (http://www.tv.com/) for the Dreams in the Witch-House synopsis. (http://www.tv.com/masters-of-horror/dreams-in-the-witch-house/episode/438015/summary.html)

The deadline of entry submissions for week eleven is midnight EST on Sunday, March 19th. The selection of the random winner for the March books will occur on Monday, March 26th. Click here (everlost_mi@evilavatar.com) to submit your entry and don’t forget to include your Evil Avatar screenname

Remember, you can submit one entry per week to increase your chances of winning.

Evil Avatar
03-12-2006, 06:56 AM
If you enjoy Lovecraft or horror stories, this is an excellent issue. As a Lovecraft virgin, this issue alone has sparked my interest in Lovecraft’s literary work and finding a copy of this movie.

Start with Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. It is my favorite.

I haven't seen any of this series. Showtime is going to really try to gouge people with the DVD's - they are putting two episodes on a DVD and selling them individually for like $14.95 - $19.95 instead of putting the whole season together in a boxed set.

I think it will be a good Blockbuster rental as a result.

Everlost_MI
03-12-2006, 07:00 AM
Start with Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. It is my favorite.

I haven't seen any of this series. Showtime is going to really try to gouge people with the DVD's - they are putting two episodes on a DVD and selling them individually for like $14.95 - $19.95 instead of putting the whole season together in a boxed set.

I think it will be a good Blockbuster rental as a result.

Thanks, will do.

It's crazy how much they are going to charge for those movies. Some of them have already been added to Netflix and subsequently my queue. :)

Kefkataran
03-12-2006, 01:46 PM
Great reviews. American Virgin is seriously looking to be good, and Seagle is a FANTASTIC writer (anyone who hasn't read his graphic novel "It's a Bird..." should do so immediately). And yeah, Exterminators is staying strong. Lots of great Vertigo titles that I can't wait to see where they go.

mpsmith
03-12-2006, 03:56 PM
American Virgin? What?

Kefkataran
03-12-2006, 04:04 PM
American Virgin? What?

Yeah... what do you wanna know exactly?

JazGalaxy
03-12-2006, 05:33 PM
I saw an interview about American Virgin on Newsarama and, being a liberal christian, I was interested to see what they would do in the story since the premise sounds interesting, but was curious to see whether it would be respectful toward the religion or not. I'm an extreme proponent of having christians as charachters in books, even when it doesn't show them in a favorable light, but almost every writer I've seen who tries to handle the concept has little to no idea what chrisitanity is even about. They just have the popculture "TV has told me all I need to know" sense of it, and write about that mixed in with what they choose to believe about the religion.

Kefkataran
03-12-2006, 06:19 PM
I saw an interview about American Virgin on Newsarama and, being a liberal christian, I was interested to see what they would do in the story since the premise sounds interesting, but was curious to see whether it would be respectful toward the religion or not. I'm an extreme proponent of having christians as charachters in books, even when it doesn't show them in a favorable light, but almost every writer I've seen who tries to handle the concept has little to no idea what chrisitanity is even about. They just have the popculture "TV has told me all I need to know" sense of it, and write about that mixed in with what they choose to believe about the religion.

My girlfriend is reading this, and she was extremely religious up until a few months ago. She's getting a lot out of it. Most of the character portrayed in the book are hyper-religious, but the crazy thing is they aren't unrealistic. One of the first things she said a couple pages into the book was "I know people just like this!" I'm not sure where Seagle is taking this, but I don't think religion is terribly the focus. That said, the religious involvement so far is a very EXTREME Christianity, so if you check it out (which you should!) don't expect anything balanced as of yet.

If you're interested in religion in comics, you should really check out another Vertigo series, Testament. It's only three issues in, and they've all been REALLY spectacular. Like the best three single-issue comics I've ever purchased. And they're written by David Rushkoff (sp) a fairly well-known Jewish religious scholar. He has some really interesting ideas about the Bible and he knows how to write a comic book like a madman.

bean19
03-12-2006, 06:21 PM
I saw an interview about American Virgin on Newsarama and, being a liberal christian, I was interested to see what they would do in the story since the premise sounds interesting, but was curious to see whether it would be respectful toward the religion or not. I'm an extreme proponent of having christians as charachters in books, even when it doesn't show them in a favorable light, but almost every writer I've seen who tries to handle the concept has little to no idea what chrisitanity is even about. They just have the popculture "TV has told me all I need to know" sense of it, and write about that mixed in with what they choose to believe about the religion.

Actually, media that contains Christians seems to be most abused by fundamentalist Christians IMO. I won't give those examples, but I'm betting you are aware of them, and thus you know how offensive they are.

My intention is not to offend, but to show that I think Christians are there own worst enemy in producing any type of media. Those are so far outside mainstream Christianity that they just serve to offend both Christians and non-Christians, so I'll discuss mainstream Christian writing instead.

Except for a very small number of Christian fiction writers, the genre is filled with stories about Christians that are more saints than people. . . also, the plot-lines for the genre are more "Scooby-Doo" than any other books I've ever read.

Your normal Christian fiction story:

Saintly Christian is doing well in life and is happy, etc. The author introduces the character doing stuff that is very "Christian" in an extremely long-winded way.

The conflict enters when the Christian is tempted to sin, and then dramatic life events (death of a loved one is the most popular) lead the Christian to a position of vulnerability.

Resolution: Either the Christian overcomes temptation by embracing God, or the Christian falls to temptation and is utterly ruined before repenting and coming back to God.

That's a fine story, of course. Just like the Scooby Doo plotline is interesting. . . once. The problem is that it is a cliche and that the characters are utterly unbelievable and unrelatable to the audience. They grow even more intolerable with repetition.

There isn't as large a writing pool for Christian writing as there is for other genres though, and thus there is less culling of bad material. It comes back to that 90% of anything is crap law that has been mentioned before.

That top 10% of Christian fiction is still quite good. . . it's just that there are far fewer of these than there are in other genres because other genres are bigger and they are more competitive so less of that 90% that is crap slips through.

My big Irish family is composed of many highly addicted readers and we use my aunt's house as a depository for books. Her "library" is littered with big brown bags that are mixed with books from every member of various households and thus are a grab-bag of various genres. We have a system of writing our names on the bags after we've had them so that we don't take them again, and bags that get enough names on them get "culled" down by whoever has them simply giving away the books that they didn't like and absorbing the rest into their personal libraries.

Thus I've found myself out of science fiction, fantasy, popular fiction, or mysteries on occassion and have read the available Christian fiction or romance novels. I can pretty much tell within 3 chapters whether or not one of the Christian fiction novels is cookie cutter and I take it upon myself to cull it from the great exchange even if I return the rest of the bag. :)

Mason
03-12-2006, 07:23 PM
Comic books and virgins, could they have found two less related concepts?

And Bean, don't forget the thriving sub-genre of Christian-apocalyptic works. It's almost like they look forward to the end of the world. But that'd be nutty.

Aries7777
03-12-2006, 08:57 PM
I watch the Masters of Horror episodes weekly and (while some are great) most are little better than averagely scary, yet there are 3 downright forgettable episodes.

Aries7777
03-12-2006, 08:58 PM
Comic books and virgins, could they have found two less related concepts?

And Bean, don't forget the thriving sub-genre of Christian-apocalyptic works. It's almost like they look forward to the end of the world. But that'd be nutty.
Dude, they couldn't be more related, most geeks like comic books, and most geeks have never been laid. :P

Kefkataran
03-12-2006, 11:19 PM
Dude, they couldn't be more related, most geeks like comic books, and most geeks have never been laid. :P

What? Seriously? No way!

JazGalaxy
03-13-2006, 07:11 AM
Well, I'm not a fan of christian fiction at all, for some of the reasons that you state, and others that you don't.

Usually, it seems, whenever writers want someone to be christian, they like to go with catholocism partly because it'st he largest denomination of christianity, but I think also becuase it's the most (sorry) ridiculous and "magic based" version of christianity out there. I mean, some friends of mine at my church watch Lost and I do as well. After the episode with Charlie trying to baptise the baby so it would "get into heaven" we were all just pretty much blown away by how off the wall the things they say about christianity are. John the baptist basptised Jesus to wash away his sins so he could begin his ministry? Just being baptised is enough to get you into heaven? None of it makes any sense and makes Christians look like morons. And yet that's usually how we're portrayed. A bunch of superstitoius weirdos who will believe anything just because we're told.

An example of a good christian charachter, in my opinion, is David from Strangers in Paradise.He's not a perfect person, and he doesn't pretend to be. His releationship with God is a personal one, and when he tries to witness to Katchoo before the plane crash, it's becuase he genuinely loves her and wants to see her in Heaven, not because he's judging her and trying to brow beat her into some kind of lifestyle.

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 08:18 AM
Jaz, really though, you should check out Testament. It takes a moden, serious, and non-idiotic or shrugging off look at the Bible and how it can relate to modern times.

Mason
03-13-2006, 08:39 AM
Dude, they couldn't be more related, most geeks like comic books, and most geeks have never been laid. :P
Did you hear a noise, like something was flying by quickly, maybe a few feet over your head?

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 09:49 AM
Did you hear a noise, like something was flying by quickly, maybe a few feet over your head?

Surely it was Wonder Woman in her invisible jet!

MosBen
03-13-2006, 09:55 AM
Is there a particular reason why I should consider the Sue Storm dying bit different from the times Reed has died and come back?

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 09:58 AM
Is there a particular reason why I should consider the Sue Storm dying bit different from the times Reed has died and come back?

Probably not. Joe Q has said in his Joe Fridays on Newsarama several times now that two FF members will die, including Sue, and that this time dead means dead for good. But still... I doubt it.

Cupelix
03-13-2006, 10:16 AM
Probably not. Joe Q has said in his Joe Fridays on Newsarama several times now that two FF members will die, including Sue, and that this time dead means dead for good. But still... I doubt it.
I doubt it too. The FF aren't the FF without the standard group. They're not like the X-Men or Avengers whose composition has always been fluid. The FF dynamic has always been based around family - it would not be the same done any other way. Why mess with what works?

MosBen
03-13-2006, 10:49 AM
Yeah, I'll believe that Marvel is killing off half of the first family for good when they kill off Wolverine too.

thecrazyd
03-13-2006, 11:06 AM
I would pay good money to have Marvel kill off Wolverine for good. I would seriously put out a hit on him.

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 11:18 AM
I would pay good money to have Marvel kill off Wolverine for good. I would seriously put out a hit on him.

I'd go in on that.

Everlost_MI
03-13-2006, 11:28 AM
I'd go in on that.

Count me in, I am good for the money. Make sure they take care of every single alternate version of Wolvie too.

Everlost_MI
03-13-2006, 12:01 PM
For those who care, Newsarama (http://www.newsarama.com/) has posted the first eleven pages (http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/MoonKnight/01/MoonKnight01.htm) of the new Moon Knight series written by Charlie Huston and drawn by David Finch.

It's been on my pull list since I first heard of it, but then again I am a big fan of Moony.

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 03:54 PM
Also of import on Newsarama: the DC comics solicitations for June are up. I'll be sure to link to them on my Comic Day! post tomorrow, as well as the Marvel solicits soon as they're up.

JazGalaxy
03-13-2006, 05:21 PM
Jaz, really though, you should check out Testament. It takes a moden, serious, and non-idiotic or shrugging off look at the Bible and how it can relate to modern times.


I will now that you vouch for it. I had seen it, and flipped through it, but ultimately decidedt to spend my time on something else.

(I'm the kind of comic book reader I hate the most. If it doesn't have an art style I dig, I'll usually pass it by unless someone tells me I shouldn't.)

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 05:24 PM
I will now that you vouch for it. I had seen it, and flipped through it, but ultimately decidedt to spend my time on something else.

Yay. :) Be sure to let me know what you think. Normally I'd be a little nervous that you'd end up buying it and hating it, but this is really one of the best books I've ever read in my opinion, so hopefully that won't be the case.

Everlost_MI
03-13-2006, 05:38 PM
Also of import on Newsarama: the DC comics solicitations for June are up. I'll be sure to link to them on my Comic Day! post tomorrow, as well as the Marvel solicits soon as they're up.
Oh yeah, good stuff. I am all over the new Wonder Woman series and I am damn interested in the new Flash series.

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 05:45 PM
Oh yeah, good stuff. I am all over the new Wonder Woman series and I am damn interested in the new Flash series.

Yeah, the new Flash intrigues me a LOT, but I probably won't get it. Wonder Woman, though? I'm am so sold on that it isn't even funny.

bean19
03-13-2006, 09:02 PM
And Bean, don't forget the thriving sub-genre of Christian-apocalyptic works. It's almost like they look forward to the end of the world. But that'd be nutty.

And yet these are the most entertaining ones I've read. No kidding at all.

If I was forced to write Christian fiction I'd probably do a sci-fi take on the rapture too. There is little enough known about it that you can write fairly different stories about the same subject. That's done in all genres really, and thus it isn't Scooby-Doo in the plotline. The rapture for Christian fiction is what murders are to mysteries and the apocolypse is to science fiction. Good writers can still make good stuff out of those subjects.

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 09:20 PM
You mean you like those fucking Left Behind books? Ugh. My stepmom adores that series, but I seriously think its shit (though I'd never say so to her face). The writers are such fucking hacks.

bean19
03-13-2006, 09:35 PM
You mean you like those fucking Left Behind books? Ugh. My stepmom adores that series, but I seriously think its shit (though I'd never say so to her face). The writers are such fucking hacks.

Not to your taste, but I assure you they are the best of the genre.

If I read through a bag of books and need something else to get to sleep and my only three choices were: a Left Behind novel, a romance novel by some unknown (not a Danielle Steele or a Nicholas Sparks, etc. novel), or Scooby-Doo Christian fiction, you better believe I'd read the Left Behind novel.

Or I'd just return to my library of favorite authors. . . Robert Heinlein, Orson Scott Card, Robin Hobb, David Fentuich, Raymond E. Feist, etc. etc. etc. The problem being that I've read all of these books at least twice. Still, not wanting to read one of those terrible choices is what gets me to the point where I've read many of them like 5 or 6 times.

I read to go to sleep and read 2 to 3 novels/week, so a fresh piece of crap is sometimes better than an too well known gem.

Plus, I love to scoff at books. It's actually most fun with mysteries. . . I like to figure them out early, but I'm really most happy when I read one and scoff at it, thinking I know the twist/surprise, and then find out I've been lead to a wrong conclusion (most of them try to do this, but that's usually where they actually give away the twist - knowing plot construction is more important to unraveling mysteries than being attentive to detail).

Off to bed and reading now. I'm reading a Dragonlance novel that I actually purchased. The Dragonlance books were some of my favorites as a kid, and I just discovered that Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman have a whole mess of new books in the series that I haven't yet bothered to read. Stupid of me to turn my nose up to the series as being childish just because I read them when I was a child.

Spigot
03-13-2006, 09:44 PM
I went looking for American Virgin #1 and Exterminators #3, but alas, neither were in stock at the store I went to. That didn't stop me from picking up Fell #4, Marvel Team-Up #17-18 (I loved that League Of Losers arc) and Desolation Jones #1 & 2.

Oh, and The Walking Dead TPB #1-4 and Wanted TPB. I went in worried I wouldn't have $20 worth of comics to buy and ended up spending $120. Grr...

American Virgin really intrigues me now that I know the story because it sounds like they could do all sorts of things with it, especially seeing how it sets up not only a major hook with the temptation aspect but also by questioning the 'plan' that the main character seems to think God has for his life. What he thought the plan was and what the plan may actually be sound vastly different and he's just realizing it.

I'm with Jaz & Bean (on various issues). I'm what could probably be termed a 'liberal Christian' and would love to see more depictions of Christians with all their warts and flaws as opposed to the Stepford-style saints you tend to see in most things.

Sadly, whenever people try to do this, the easily offended batch of holier-than-thous rise up and tend to squelch what might be an honest look at themselves (see The Book Of Daniel series that, while flawed, was very realistic in terms of the depiction of church politics and the struggles faced by people of faith trying to live up to the expectations of those around them.)

But that's for another forum thread.

It's nice to see that there are comics willing to tackle this topic, albeit in a somewhat off-kilter way. Testament is fantastic thus far and I do hope to get my hands on a copy of American Virgin soon (Woah... It's a good thing I put "copy of" in that sentence...)

Kefkataran
03-13-2006, 10:40 PM
Not to your taste, but I assure you they are the best of the genre.

Not saying much for the genre. :p

If I read through a bag of books and need something else to get to sleep and my only three choices were: a Left Behind novel, a romance novel by some unknown (not a Danielle Steele or a Nicholas Sparks, etc. novel), or Scooby-Doo Christian fiction, you better believe I'd read the Left Behind novel.

Well yeah, with that list I'd choose the Left Behind novel too. But that really doesn't make the novel look that good.

I read to go to sleep and read 2 to 3 novels/week, so a fresh piece of crap is sometimes better than an too well known gem.

Oh man. I wish I got that much reading done. :\ I'm seriously jealous of you for that. Ah well, maybe one day.

Off to bed and reading now. I'm reading a Dragonlance novel that I actually purchased. The Dragonlance books were some of my favorites as a kid, and I just discovered that Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman have a whole mess of new books in the series that I haven't yet bothered to read. Stupid of me to turn my nose up to the series as being childish just because I read them when I was a child.

I used to really love the Dragonlance series as well. They'll always hold a special place in my heart. Heh. And as for your idea of scoffing at books and having fun reading trashy stuff, I dig that once in a while too, but since I have so little time to read, not as much. I'm currently reading this really bad detective noir dime novel from the fifties though and loving it.

I went looking for American Virgin #1 and Exterminators #3, but alas, neither were in stock at the store I went to. That didn't stop me from picking up Fell #4, Marvel Team-Up #17-18 (I loved that League Of Losers arc) and Desolation Jones #1 & 2.

Find American Virgin #1 and Exterminators #3 ASAP! Also, good call on Desolation Jones 1 and 2. That first story arc is almost over, so pick up issues 3-5 ASAP. The next arc is sounding very interesting...


Sadly, whenever people try to do this, the easily offended batch of holier-than-thous rise up and tend to squelch what might be an honest look at themselves (see The Book Of Daniel series that, while flawed, was very realistic in terms of the depiction of church politics and the struggles faced by people of faith trying to live up to the expectations of those around them.)


No worries about that happening with Vertigo series at least. Glad you've been reading and enjoying Testament as well. So good!