Reading List: October

Well, October was packed with comic books and manga and not so many books. I guess I'll have to read more books than graphic novels over the next couple of months if I want to bring up my total for the year. At any rate, this is what I read this month:

--> S is for Silence
Another Kinsey Millhone adventure by Sue Grafton, it took me longer than usual to get into the groove of the story, but once I got there, I enjoyed the book immensely. The bad news is that there is only one more book out on paperback, and after that I'll have to wait for a year before I can read the next one!

Locke & Key, vol. 2: Head Games
Another mindbending tale written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. I think I liked the first volume better, but that doesn't mean this one wasn't all sorts of awesome, because it was.

Transformers: Stormbringer The artwork by Don Figueroa was amazing. I could just stare at every single panel for hours, and I would find new details every three seconds. This, my friends, is how the Transformers are supposed to be drawn. Unfortunately, the story by Simon Furman was boring and derivative (an enemy from the past so powerful everyone has to work together to destroy!), which is a shame, because the visuals are out of this world.

Assassin’s Creed Limited Edition Art Book What a coincidence that I found out about this book at the same time I was replaying the game. needless to say, I bought it immediately and read it pretty quickly. It is a comprehensive look at the making of the game, yet I wish there was more. Then again, even if the book was twice as long, I'd still be clamoring for more. If you love the game like I do, then you must buy this book, simple as that.

I Shudder This book is a collection of essays and stories by Paul Rudnick, the man who wrote In & Out and Addams Family Values. I thought the book would deal with Hollywood and screenwriting, but it doesn't, and I was therefore disappointed. The book is entertaining, and the "I Shudder" chapters are pretty hilarious, but, overall, I didn't like this book as much as I was hoping.

The Goon, vol. 9: Calamity of Conscience It took me so long to read volumes 7 and 8 that volume 9 came out and I had just finished the previous two. This volume closes the story arc that started in book 7, and it is dark and grim and depressing. At the same time, it is a great read, and I have to tell you guys once again to start reading Eric Powell's phenomenal series. Knife to the eye!

Wolverine: Old Man Logan As I said before, I liked the story, but I hate Marvel for putting it out the way they did. Still, definitely worth reading.

Nightmares & Fairy Tales, vol. 4: Dancing with the Ghosts of Whales
I bought this TPB written by Serena Valentino and drawn by Camilla D'Errico, and while it was whimsy and weird and mostly enjoyable, it really wasn't anything to write home about. Plus, I thought the book would benefit from a more polished and finished look.

Bastard!!, vol. 1
The first volume in Kazushi Hagiwara's series, Bastard is funny but sort of a one-trick pony. I liked it, but I am happy I borrowed it from a friend instead of paying for it.

The Titan’s Curse
The third book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, it took me a while to really get into the story (kind of like what happened to me with S is for Silence). Once I did, though, the book was a lot of fun, and I certainly enjoyed the second half!

Tag & Bink Were Here
I reread the silly adventures of Tag and Bink before I let a friend borrow them, and they still made me laugh. Kevin Rubio's script is funny, and Lucas Marangon artwork is just right for the story. Hilarious!

Battle Angel Alita
For the last century or so, James Cameron has been saying he wants to turn Yukito Kishiro hit manga into a movie. I don't know if that will ever happen, but having watched the first season of Dark Angel, which Cameron produced, I can see lots of common elements. The book was fun, but I think I would enjoy the movie version much better.

Bastard!!, vols. 2- 5
If the first volume felt a bit repetitive, imagine how I felt after I finished the fifth one.

American on Purpose I already told you how much fun I had with Craig Ferguson's autobiography, so just go ahead and buy it!

The Walking Dead, vol. 9: Here We Remain I hadn't read Robert Kirkman's incredibly successful book in a while, and I found volume 9 as fun and grim as the previous installments in the series. Great writing, but I'm still not a fan of the artwork.

The Walking Dead, vol. 10: What We Become Yet more horrible things happen to the main characters. And I hear they're turning the book into a TV show, so we'll see how that turns out.

Uncanny X-Men: Lovelorn Part of my X-Men marathon, I'll tell you more about it soon. For the time being, suffice it to say that I enjoyed it.

Uncanny X-Men: Sisterhood
Not as good as Lovelorn, yet still enjoyable. More on that soon.

Utopia
The Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men crossover was fun to read, but I wish Dodson would have drawn everything and not just the X-Men issues. As a matter of fact, I think Dodson should draw pretty much every comic on the planet. I think I need to get some original artwork by him!

The Battle of the Labyrinth The fourth book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, it was also great fun to read, and it probably was my favorite in the series along with the first one. The problem is that now I have to wait for the last volume to come out in paperback next year, because it just came out in hardcover. I'll have to find other books to keep me entertained until then.

And that's if for this month. Only two left before the year's over, and then, I get to choose my favorites for the year. Stay tuned!