Excuses, Excuses, and Picks for 10/25 Books

Hibbs didn't sound like he was doing reviews, but I'm getting out of town for my birthday weekend, so I'm not going to be much help either. I may do full reviews later in the week because there were a lot of books that merited commendation and/or discussion.... but don't count on it. So lemme just go with: PICK OF THE WEEK: Mike Allred's Solo, no question about it. I particularly loved the hilarious, yet thought-provoking, "Batman A-Go-Go," co-written by Lee Allred, that reads like it was written by people who've thought about Batman and his legacy and really have something to say, but the "Doom Patrol Versus Teen Titans" was also wonderful, simply by virtue of its delightfulness. This is the issue to get this week.

PICK OF THE WEAK: JLA #121. Not nearly as embarrassing as last issue, but with lines like "You're my android, not my mother!" still in the realm of the really awful.

AWARD OF DISTINCTION: Zombie Tales: Oblivion and Jenny Finn: Messiah since Ross Richie was enough of a mensch to send review copies of the former. ZT:O does this thing of self-contained stories with continuing characters that kinda works and kinda doesn't, but the truly self-contained stories work quite well. If you like the stuff coming out of IDW, you should definitely check this anthology out. And I'm freaking thrilled to have all of Jenny Finn, finally.

TRADE PICK: The Night Fisher GN looks beautiful, but it suffers from first novel syndrome--it vividly captures a time and a place, then peters out as it follows a presumably autobiographical trail of events. A talent to watch out for, but not necessarily a book to pick up.

Actually, I thoroughly loved Vol. 2 of Beck Mongolian Chop Squad, even though it veered away from nearly every character introduced in Volume 1 and focused on the lead's apprenticeship to the book's version of Yoda, "a porn-loving 44 year old bachelor whose only friend is his pet parrot." The series is well-written, well-drawn and enjoyably profane. March, 2006 can't come soon enough for me.