So, what have I been reading? Well, in no particular order:
Check, Please! Book 2, by Ngozi Ukazu. Even though this is a web series, I somehow held out from reading the series and instead have been waiting for this book since my friend George sent me the first one a year or so ago. This was worth the wait, and I'm not kidding when I say I laughed, I cried (a lot; this thing had my emotions all over the place), and I read it again as soon as I finished.
The series follows the four year college journey of Eric "Bitty" Bittle, the figure skating son of a football coach. He's an expert baker, and walks onto the university hockey team due to his speed and spins, but is also hampered by his fear of physical contact on the ice. There are mixed reviews on Amazon, because some people are jackholes about profanity and gay relationships, but as a person who enjoys hockey, college settings, baking, and dynamic art styles, this book is wonderful. Reading the first one made me happy, and reading the second made me happier. I really cannot say enough good things about this.
Gotham High by Melissa De La Cruz. Boy was this a lot of noise about nothing. A reimagining of the Batman universe as a high school where Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Jack Napier, and Harvey Dent are students, the racist and homophobic portions of the Bat-universe fanbase were all up in arms before this came out because a) almost every character is a racial or sexual minority in the story, and b) it was originally reported that many characters in the book would be sexually fluid, and that Bruce and Jack (Batman and the Joker) would "cross boundaries" during a threeway with Selina (Catwoman). That doesn't actually happen in the book. Really, this is just a regular Batman story of kidnappings, robbery, forgery, and other crimes both petty and major, in a slightly different setting. The art is decent, and the story is entertaining, but I was hoping for all the allegedly shocking controversy, so I was disappointed.
All seven paperbacks of the Mighty Thor, by Jason Aaron. Some of this was prep for the next Thor movie, and some of it was just because this is an outstanding run of comics. If you're not familiar, at the start of the run the Odinson has lost the power to lift Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor. Things are looking dire, when suddenly a new Thor appears and she's lifting the hammer just fine. Who is she? Where did she come from? Since this series is now a few years old, I'll go ahead and give the rest of the spoiler:
The new Thor is Dr. Jane Foster, and she has a problem. She's dying of cancer, and every time she lifts the hammer and becomes Thor she is healed of her chemotherapy, which means that being the mighty Thor is slowly killing her. This puts a ticking clock on the whole series, even as a ticking clock is also placed on Thor and the gods of Asgard, as the destroyer of gods is slowly coming for them. All that stands between them and oblivion is the mighty Thor, but she also stands on the brink of death. This is a story of heroism, sacrifice, family, and acceptance, as well as good old fashioned superheroes punching things. Also, the loss of his hammer leaves the Odinson with a costume of cape, pants, and no shirt, so there's also a lot of this:
Truly, a comic with something for everybody. I can only hope this is the costume they go with for Chris Hemsworth in the next movie.
Midnight Nation by J. Michael Straczynski. This was a reread of the first comic I ever bought monthly that wasn't about superheroes. It's a story of loss and redemption starring police officer David Grey, who sees something unexplainable on a call and finds himself on a journey across America's forgotten underside to save his soul, accompanied by a woman who might be an angel or might be a devil meant to lead him to his fate. This was right when Gary Frank's art was in the "very realistic" phase but right before it slipped into "everyone has a grinning rictus of terror and looks at least 40 years older than they should" phase, so it tells the story well. I don't see this book referenced a lot, which is sad because it's really well done.
Orbiter, by Warren Ellis. The space shuttle Venture, missing in space for ten years, crash lands in Florida. It's covered in alien technology, and only one mute crew member remains inside. Where have they been? What happened to them? Why have they returned? Can the trio of specialists brought in to discover the truth solve the mystery? What does it mean for humanity if they do? This is a good science fiction story, and Colleen Doran's art is great. Again, I rarely if ever see people talk about this book, which is sad because it's good.
As for what's next on the comic reading list, I haven't decided yet, but I have a few more things sitting around waiting to be read.
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