What a Marathon!

It is Satuday, and I am completely finished reading ALL of the comics in my TBR pile. That is not, however, all of the comics. What didn't I read?

I found, at the bottom of the pile, The Amazing Spiderman #583. We don't normally read Spiderman anyway; I think this is one Mark just picked up on impulse. Mark very seldom gives in to the crossover of politics and comics, but I guess the Obama cover was an exception.

I didn't read Ex Machina. Mark has been reading this one since the first issue, but that was back before I paid attention to who was writing what, and the cover didn't catch my attention. But now I realize that Brian K. Vaughan was the writer. I loved Y: The Last Man, so I think maybe I should have Mark pull these out the old issue of Ex Machina for me to read. Or, I'll just look around for the first graphic novel. Then I don't have to tell Mark he was right, and I should have read them to begin with!

The Simpsons I generally skip, unless Mark says it is really good. (I looked for a link to Bongo Comics online, and couldn't find an official one. Hmmmmmmmmm.)

I did read the Wednesday Comics. But I am skipping the Wonder Woman strip in there. I find it was giving me a headache trying to follow the tiny little boxes! But I like the rest of the strips!

I didn't skip Final Crisis: Escape #4, or Final Crisis: Dance #4, but I wish I had. I won't be finishing out these series. Maybe these would be better read all at once, but I cannot follow the story in either of these. Which is a shame, because I am really enjoying Final Crisis: Run! and Final Crisis: Ink.

In the final stretch...

What did I read?

FC: Escape #2, #3 -- This is very confusing. I have no idea what is going on.

FC: Dance #2, #3 -- Ditto. Except I really don't even remember these people from Final Crisis.

FC: Ink #1, #2, #3 -- I like this one better. Maybe because there wasn't a long gap for me between the first issue and the others? No, because the story appears to be more contiguous.

Strange Adventures #5, #6 -- I like The Weird.

Billy Batson and Magic of Shazam #5 -- Very nice. I eally like Mary Marvel in this comic.

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 -- Am I wrong, or is almost half this comic just the equivalent of a DVD commentary of a previous comic?

Astro City : The Dark Age #2, #3, #4 -- It seems like this whole Dark Age story line is longer than any previous Astro City story. I know Mark likes it, but I am getting kind of tired of it.

Beowulf #1-4 (all of the miniseries) -- I got this because it was Neil Gaiman. Yes, I know the story is based on the epic poem, but you know what I mean. But, eh. The art was nice, but the story itself seemed to be unsuited to the comic format. Maybe I’ll rent the movie.

So that was only 18 comics for yesterday, and most of those I actually read this morning. But That is pretty much the bottom of my backlog. I have five issues of Fringe, two issues of Wednesday Comics, plus 18 new ones for this week. I think I will just commit to reading five a day for the next 5 days. I should be caught up by Wednesday next.

Sunday we’ll probably be talking about the newest issues of Blackest Night, the new Adventure Comics, and, of course, WOTCOEW.

I did read my 20 comics yesterday. I finished up with:

Superman #35 -- in which, of course, Superman figures very little. We did see Steel and Chris Kent (Nightwing? NEVER!), with a page or two of Zatara and a Dr. Light/Guardian play date.

Superman: World of New Krypton #6 -- The start of Codename: Patriot.

And finally, the finally, Final Crisis Aftermath: Run #4 -- The Human Flame gets more powerful. He's finally a real villian...

You know I am getting down to the bottom of my pile if I read the Final Crisis book. I now have 2 issues of Dance, 2 issue of Ink, and 3 issues of Escape to read today. I think I really was trying to wait until these were done, but that would be another three months, and I really would like to get them out of my TBR pile. I have books to read, darn it! Real books! Plus school is starting soon.

So, in addition to those, I have three issues of Astro City: Dark City, the four issues of Beowulf, five issues of Fringe and a couple miscellaneous DC comics to read. Plus whatever Mark brings home from the comics store today. Argh. Argh. Argh.

Sixteen today, so far...

And I'm sure I'll get the other four read, as long as I don't have to do dishes. Dishes or comics? Hmmmm.

Supergirl #34 -- I like Supergirl. In this issue, she is on New Krypton. I wonder how long New Krypton will be around.

Justice League: Cry for Justice #2 -- The group is getting together.

Justice League America #35 -- Loved the reference to Detroit!

Justice Society of America #29 -- Is this the end of Mr. Terrific?

Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson: Homecoming #2 -- I think I must have missed the end of this series. I was trying to keep this until I had all 4, but I never got them. MARK!!!!

Eureka #2 -- I am liking this story, but the art seems to be a little scattered. Not always able to identify people. All the girls look alike.

Angel: Not Fade Away #3, Angel #24, Buffy #27 -- Not much to say about these.

Fallen Angel Reborn #2 -- LOVE IT. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! Illyria is visiting Bete Noire.

Twenty Yesterday; Twenty Today?

I actually, I think, finished 21 comics yesterday.

Tuesday:
Solomon Grundy #6 (of 7) -- I have no idea what is going on in this miniseries. Lots of swampy explosions and flashbacks. Frankenstein? The Bride?

The Brave and the Bold #25 -- I like team ups with the Blue Beetle. I think Jaimie is one of the more interesting new heroes. His Blue Beetle (in the Teen Titans, too) always makes a story more interesting.

Power Girl #3 -- With Terra.

Doom Patrol #1 -- Killing off characters in the first issue. Oh, Nudge, you will be missed by me, if no one else.

The Last Days of Animal Man #3 (of 6) -- Oh, this is in the FUTURE! League of Titans? But Nightwing is still there! Whine about continuity.

Today is non-DC comics day for me.

Star Trek: Missions End #5 and #6 -- The story about giant bugs is over.

Star Trek Alien Spotlight: Q
Star Trek Alien Spotlight: Romulans -- Eh, if you're not human...

Star Trek: Spock Reflections -- How many Star Trek comics are there?

Star Trek: Crew -- Again, probably one of the best ST comics, taking a look at the life of "Number One" from the original Captain Pike pilot of the ST series. We still don't know her name, but she apparently did make one for herself.

So that is six for today so far. Next, on to Buffy, Angel and Fallen Angel.

Did I read 20 comics today?

Update # 2:

Not quite up to 20 for the day. I am at 15. I will finish the last five before I go to sleep!

Wonder Woman #34 -- Lots of humor between Black Canary and Wonder Woman. I like issues like this! I did wonder, though, how WW and BC changed into their disguises after jumping from the invisible plane. I didn’t see any backpack full of costumes...

Secret Six #12 -- Banshee is back! And I have to ask Mark who's in the last panel...

House of Mystery #16 -- Glad to see Cain continue his appearances. And what about the Hounds of Titus Roan? Note: Ask Mark if the hounds have appeared before. Will we see the king of the hounds appearing later, maybe? Also, that was a very weird preview!

Madame Xanadu #13 -- I love to see Dian and Wesley. I hope we see more of them.

Jack of Fables #36 -- Jack being Jack.

The Hangman #1 -- The first Red Circle (at least for me). Very nice origin story. I am looking forward to this continuing.

Bill Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #6 -- More for DC Kids. Mark really likes these.

Teen Titans #73 -- I'm still waiting for Superboy to show up. And I really like the Ravager second feature.

Doctor Who: Room with a Deja View -- I liked the story, but not the artwork so much. Some of the Doctor depictions just seemed weird.

Five more to go today.

Books To Read...

I have 63 comic books in my TBR pile. I WILL read them all by Friday. Hmmmm.... Do I have to count the new books that come in on Wednesday? YES! 63 books, plus those that come in on Wednesday will all be read by Friday...

First Update:

Echo # 14 -- I’m really liking this story, but it is not enough! Terry Moore, write faster! I almost think I’d rather read it in the collections, so I get a bigger bite at a time. But I will keep buying the issues because I want Terry to keep writing.

A new nemesis is introduced; the company who created the metal is now out to destroy it, and Julie at the same time!


Outsiders #19, #20 -- These issues finished up the story arc of “The Deep.” Okay, it’s been two months since I read #18, so I was a little confused. Maybe I need to read every month, so I don’t lose track of the story. But it seems that Ra’s a Ghul, Vandal Savage, the rest of Vandal Savage’s tribe, and the Outsiders are all trying to find the remains of the meteor that caused Vandal Savage’s immortality. In the end, no one gets it, and pretty much every one walks away alive. So what was the point? I guess some new characters were introduced. I could really skip this comic without missing it at all.


Batwoman in Detective # 855 -- Is it bad that I’d rather see the Question as the main feature? I have absolutely no interest in this new Batwoman story.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #7 -- Best Batman comic currently in print?

Batman Confidential #31, #32 -- Batman (Bruce Wayne -- none of that Batman Reborn in this comic) meets the Russian Mob and THE BEAR! I didn’t realize how much I’d miss Bruce until he was gone. Batman Confidential is that traditional Batman we all know and love. And since it is purposefully outside the continuity of the DC universe (being a story from the “confidential files”), I don’t have to try to fit my brain around why things are happening here that aren’t referenced in another story where the Bat characters are appearing. I can’t help it, I like my fiction consistent.

Waiting for Mark...

I am not home this weekend, and Mark is supposed to be posting this week's episode of How I Got My Wife To Read Comics. I haven't seen it yet! Hurry Up, Mark.

In the meantime, I have printed our tickets for the Chicago Comic-con. Here is Mark's t-shirt for Comic-con. If you see him, say Hi! Of course, some of our other "fans" will be wearing the shirt, too, but feel free to stop any of us and tell us you listen.