Books read in 2021 # 66-70 - A stack of comic books
66. Paper Girls 2 by Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang - I think this book is starting to lose its focus. Brian K. Vaughan may be the Robert Altman of comic books for me where I have no middle ground with his work. Either love or hate. I love Saga and I really can't see the point to Y the Last Man. So what works in this comic is Erin Tieng talking to herself from 25 years in the future/past with the adult Erin annoyed by her teenage self as teenager Erin tells her not to swear and openly shows horror at the fact that her adult self takes pills for anxiety. That's a beautiful story buried in a lot of time travel war stuff that is confusing and annoying. Vaughan wrote Lost right? This reminds me of the way that Lost got lost in its own mythology. I guess it can improve. I will probably read the next one. But it needs more character and way less time travel bullshit.
67. Jupiter's Legacy 2 (or 4) by Mark Millar & Frank Quitely - So here's the battle where the "villains" fight the "heroes" and everyone deals with their fathers, especially the one without powers finding out that his dad is still alive. There's more action and less character building than the previous chapter but it's all good. I love the cleverness of the characters and Chloe's arc from party girl to responsible mother and fighter for all humanity against the egotists in her family is still great. Since I'm reading the prequel series, I'm looking for Blue Bolt clues in this one but besides the main guy getting his teleportation stick.
68. Invisible Kingdom: Walking the Path by G. Willow Wilson & Christian Ward - So this one looks great so good for you Christian Ward but the story isn't grabbing me. A nun finds out that her mother superior is making deals and is horrified which is weird because where does she think all the security and resources come from. So she teams up with a ship captain. It all takes a long way to get there. This is disappointing because I really liked Ms Marvel. But you know Wilson wants to do different things and they can't all be great. And I'm sure this has fans. I'm not one of them.
69.I Only Have Eye for You by Heather Nuhfer & Kellee Riley - Ok, why do I find Japanese romance comics cute and love stories in superhero comics adorable and yet this thing isn't hitting that spot. I know it wants to be cute and I guess maybe that's why it doesn't hit so hard for me. I like this one but it just never seemed to hit the same way. It's a high school full of monsters and they are all trying to hook up to go to the dance. They have problems. But these problems ultimately turn out to be advantages.
70.Lover Boys by Gilbert Hernandez - I think that this will ultimately become tied into the rest of the Love & Rockets series, like maybe a movie starring one of the characters. But it seems like Gilbert's best work with a teacher seducing various guys in the town while the kids are trying to dynamite things. I like this one but it's too familiar without feeling essential. The light storytelling that turns very dark with suicides and explosions and people getting each other pregnant and running off. But I've seen this before and better. http://www.patreon.com/timlieder
67. Jupiter's Legacy 2 (or 4) by Mark Millar & Frank Quitely - So here's the battle where the "villains" fight the "heroes" and everyone deals with their fathers, especially the one without powers finding out that his dad is still alive. There's more action and less character building than the previous chapter but it's all good. I love the cleverness of the characters and Chloe's arc from party girl to responsible mother and fighter for all humanity against the egotists in her family is still great. Since I'm reading the prequel series, I'm looking for Blue Bolt clues in this one but besides the main guy getting his teleportation stick.
68. Invisible Kingdom: Walking the Path by G. Willow Wilson & Christian Ward - So this one looks great so good for you Christian Ward but the story isn't grabbing me. A nun finds out that her mother superior is making deals and is horrified which is weird because where does she think all the security and resources come from. So she teams up with a ship captain. It all takes a long way to get there. This is disappointing because I really liked Ms Marvel. But you know Wilson wants to do different things and they can't all be great. And I'm sure this has fans. I'm not one of them.
69.I Only Have Eye for You by Heather Nuhfer & Kellee Riley - Ok, why do I find Japanese romance comics cute and love stories in superhero comics adorable and yet this thing isn't hitting that spot. I know it wants to be cute and I guess maybe that's why it doesn't hit so hard for me. I like this one but it just never seemed to hit the same way. It's a high school full of monsters and they are all trying to hook up to go to the dance. They have problems. But these problems ultimately turn out to be advantages.
70.Lover Boys by Gilbert Hernandez - I think that this will ultimately become tied into the rest of the Love & Rockets series, like maybe a movie starring one of the characters. But it seems like Gilbert's best work with a teacher seducing various guys in the town while the kids are trying to dynamite things. I like this one but it's too familiar without feeling essential. The light storytelling that turns very dark with suicides and explosions and people getting each other pregnant and running off. But I've seen this before and better. http://www.patreon.com/timlieder