Review: Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics

Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics by Anonymous
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Black Panther by Reginald Hudlin: The Complete Collection Vol. 1

Black Panther by Reginald Hudlin: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 by Reginald Hudlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is how badass the Black Panther is. Wakanda is invaded by a neighboring kingdom, aided and abetted by the 2nd Bush administration, as well as a super-villain team led by Ulysses Klaw. The U.S. has also sent in a back-up team of ZOMBIES--that's right, Zombies, reanimated soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. All the other foes have been beaten by the time the Zombie Marines arrive. The Panther looks them in the eye and says, "If you are not off this land in one hour, you will considered an invading force and will be dealt with accordingly." After a one-page face-off, the Zombies say, "Have a nice day" and leave.

Reginald Hudlin has done a masterful job of bringing not only T'Challa but the kingdom of Wakanda to life. Later this series will be the basis for a 2010 animated miniseries. Blade makes an appearance, and I swear they made his look like Wesley Snipes. And the Bride of the Panther storyline with Storm is magnificent.

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Review: Becoming

Becoming by Michelle Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We sorely need more people with the grace and dignity of Michelle Obama.

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Review: Infinity Watch Vol. 1

Infinity Watch Vol. 1 by Jim Starlin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So continues an infinite round of Infinity storylines that began with Infinity Gauntlet. In what is probably the longest-running title Adam Warlock ever graced, a collage of cosmic deities commands our golden protagonist to give up the Infinity Stones. Sort of. He winds up dispersing them to a group of colleagues uniquely disqualified to hold them. We have the usual gang from Jim Starlin's gallery--Warlock, Gamora, the troll Pip, Moondragon and Drax the Destroyer, plus a jaw-dropping choice to hold the Reality Stone. These stones are not supposed to be used in unison ever again; yet in their first story, all the members of the Watch with the exception of Warlock are captured and used in an inane revenge plot. and this won't be the last time that happens.
I think what this collection suffers from most is the weakness that plagues comics to this day: once a year, during the summer, every storyline gets dropped for four or five months in order to participate in the annual Cosmic Catastrophe that all comics have to tie into. This happens twice, four issues tied into a separate miniseries, which is intended to force you into buying yet another graphic novel collection to know what exactly the F--K is going on!
Even worse, the thing that always happens with a Starlin series continues here, ie, we're forced to endure a rotating roster of artists, inkers, colorists etc. of varying talent, leaving the impression of an inconsistent visual style. Now Angela Medina-Terry Austin-Ian Laughlin are magic; Tom Grindberg-Bob Almond & Laughlin less so. I wanted to love this, but the sum is less than spectacular. 3 out of 5.

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Review: Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World

Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World by Rob Sheffield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Cosmic Odyssey: The Deluxe Edition (Cosmic Odyssey

Cosmic Odyssey: The Deluxe Edition (Cosmic Odyssey by Jim Starlin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meh.
They have one of these every year. Another overwhelming cosmic force has to learn the error of its ways. On the grand scale of things its passable entertainment, not as memorable as what Starlin would do with the Infinity Gauntlet three years later, or even Batman: A Death in the Family which ran concurrently with Cosmic Odyssey.
The best parts are the small ones; Batman's interactions with Forager, which made his sacrifice all the more painful, and the moral abyss John Stewart tumbles into after his arrogance leads to the destruction of an entire world.
Well, fans always say Thanos and Darkseid are similar-looking villians, and now Starlin has written for both of them.

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Review: Forever Nerdy: Living My Dorky Dreams and Staying Metal

Forever Nerdy: Living My Dorky Dreams and Staying Metal by Brian Posehn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This man cries out for an editor. His book reads like a stand-up routine, all over the place. Maybe this is what a conversation with Brian Posehn would be like--hard to follow with lots of profanity. I wanted to enjoy this more because yeah, I am a nerd too, but somehow it seemed harder to read than it should have. Sometimes there's TMI; I don't need to know every single frikkin' TV show he watched as a child; I don't need to be walked through all every act of sex with his former girlfriends. BUUUT, he owns his mistakes and regrets while he details the road to total nerdity, and comedy.

P.S. I am totally with him on the Star Wars chapter. Skip to page 84-85; he describes exactly how all us Star Wars fans felt about the prequels. I can't repeat it, you have just got to read it for yourself. He does get to his comic career just in time for him to break his back. I am with him entirely on his Nerd Rant on page 249. He's right, all you white male nerds need to calm down, take some Prozac. Women and Diversity is part of this world, boys, including the comic book and gaming ones. OK, I'll recommend it, but it's gonna be work for ya.

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