TAKING A BREAK FROM BLOGGING

Yeah, it's probably going to be a while before I post here again.  No more reviews, no more Cool Shit, no more anything for a while.  I've fallen behind on my other writing, and I desperately need to catch up.  I have a new novel I should have already been working on right now.  Maybe I'll post something here every once in a while, but it's not going to be a regular thing for quite some time, maybe not until the new year.  We'll see.  But for now, I have to get my ass in gear on the stuff that might actually get me money.  Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding.

COOL SHIT 9-12-13

KICK-ASS 3 #3:  Aw, man!  The BATMAN:  YEAR ONE plan didn’t work out.  That’s all right, I guess.  Things got pretty fucked up without it.  The Motherfucker is back in action, too, but the real star of this one was Hit-Girl and how she’s been conducting herself in prison.  Drinking whiskey, smoking cigarettes, and castrating drug dealers.  Good times.

THE WALKING DEAD #114:  The stage is set for “All Out War.”  Jesus did a lot of ass kicking this issue, more than you’ve ever seen him do before.  Hell, he managed to upstage Ezekiel’s tiger.  More importantly, Rick is constantly reminded of his fuck up by everyone else.  He’s been too undependable lately, so hopefully this shit gets him back in working order.  And Negan?  Oh, he’s pissed.  The shit hits the fan next month, and I can’t wait!

LOCKE & KEY:  ALPHA #1:  Wow.  Now we finally know Dodge’s plan, and holy shit, it’s even crazier and more destructive than anyone could imagine.  It’s much better than the usual rule-the-world bullshit.  A lot of the plot gets wrapped up in this issue.  People die, things are destroyed, and Tyler shows off a very valuable talent.  It looks like all that’s left is an epilogue.  That final panel is an absolute heart-breaker.  And check it out:  in the back, they show some pictures taken during the making of the ill-fated pilot episode of LOCKE & KEY.  It looks like things really came together on that pilot.  It’s a shame this is probably the closest we’ll ever come to seeing it.  1 ISSUE LEFT!

WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO 2013 ARTISTS ALLEY: TALK!

This is probably the most unexpected find in Artists Alley in a long time.  TALK! is meta-fiction at its finest.  This book is self aware, and the characters know they are in a comic book.  By all rights, this should be the most boring book EVER WRITTEN.  The main story is about a guy telling a friend about a comic book he wants to write.  That’s it.  Ah, but add the self-awareness, and this turns into a work of genius.  The layouts are amazing and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.  And then there is the occasional ACTION-PACKED PAGE!!  This book shows what comics are really capable of.  Buy this mindfuck as soon as possible.

WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO 2013 ARTISTS ALLEY: WAYWARD

You won’t find a creepier horror book in Artists Alley than this one.  A group of wayward youths are sent to the Simon Corporation only to be confronted by some very frightening disgruntled spirits.  To say anything more than that would be criminal.  This is the kind of story you need to discover for yourself, to feel the dread just seep over your entire being.  The ending of the final issue is awesome beyond belief.  You should pick these books up right away.

WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO 2013 ARTISTS ALLEY: BACHELOR PAD MAGAZINE

“Booze, Babes, and Burly-Q,” proclaims the top of every issue of BACHELOR PAD MAGAZINE.  How the fuck could I pass this up?  It comes off as the younger, hornier brother of MODERN DRUNKARD MAGAZINE.  Sure, this is a girlie mag, but all the pictures are very tasteful.  They’re not nudes, they’re burlesque.  Not only that, but they have articles about how to make great cocktails, in addition to where you can experience good, booze-soaked noir films.  There are advice columns and interviews with legendary burlesque dancers and, of course, fiction about leggy dames and the drunkards who love them.  To top it all off, they seem to have an obsession with the fez.  If you see them at a convention, be sure to pick up the Red Fez and Smoking Jacket collection.  It’s a bit pricey, but it’s fun.

COOL SHIT 9-5-13

G.I. JOE:  COBRA FILES #6:  Last time we got to explore Clockspring’s history.  This time, we get Flint’s, and while it’s not quite as interesting, it goes a long way toward explaining him and why he wants to relinquish his leadership role and disband his team.  He views everything as FUBAR, and he’s man enough to know the truth about it.  And we also get a bit more info about Billy, the original Cobra Commander’s son, but I don’t know.  I think there’s something odd going on with him.  I wouldn’t put it past Mike Costa to turn him on us.  Next issue is where things are supposed to get really fucked up.  (On a side note, it’s suggested that this series might be ending soon.  I hope not.  This is my favorite of the Joe books.  The others aren’t even all that good at this point.  This is the only good one going.)

ABSOLUTION:  RUBICON #3:  Looks like John Dusk has recovered enough from his last encounter with the Polymath, and he’s gotten Happy Kitty by his side.  In order to draw his nemesis to him, he publicly cleans up the ghetto by killing a bunch of drug dealers and other various criminals.  Most people will read this and think, oh, he’s being a real superhero for a change.  Well, kind of.  It goes back farther than that.  This is the stranger riding into a town riddled with crime, putting on a badge, and cleaning out the villains.  Judging by the last panel, I’m sure we’ll get his next showdown with the Polymath in the next issue.  I’m sure it will be crazier than the last time.

WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO 2013 ARTISTS ALLEY: MISERERI NOBIS

The title is Latin for “have mercy on us,” and I can think of nothing better to call this book.  Misery and despair are what fuels this one, and it is so beautifully, heart-breakingly done, it’s truly a wonder to behold.  The blurb on the back says, “This is a story of loss, pain, fear, loneliness, shame, and hope.”  I’ll be damned if I can find the part about hope, though.  This will depress the shit out of you . . . but in a good way.  This is a satisfying tale, and in some parts, it might remind you of ERASERHEAD.  I’ve said before that writer and illustrator Mat Festa isn’t the greatest when it comes to illustrating people, but when it comes to otherworldly things, no one is better.  There are some masterful, dreamy sequences in this one.  Do not miss it!

(PS:  I know I'm behind on this one.  It's just that for the life of me, I can't remember ever seeing this one at his table before.)

WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO 2013 ARTISTS ALLEY: YI SOON SHIN

This is probably the most educational books you’ll pick up in Artists Alley.  It’s the story of a Korean general named Yi Soon Shin, and how he stood up to the Japanese in the 16^th Century.  It’s full of factual information about a guy you’ve probably never heard of before.  The first issue is kind of a struggle to get through, but after that, the historical quality falls away, and it almost becomes a DEADWOOD-ish version of what happened back then.  It’s an interesting story, if you’re interested in the past.  If you liked CRECY by Warren Ellis, you might like this.