Every Day I Read The (Mostly comic) Book(s)
I bloody love a good read, I do.
For instance James Robinson’s Starman, which I will never stop wittering on about to anyone who will listen. The perfect self contained 80-odd issue series about family legacies, the value of old ‘junk’ and a trip into space featuring some brand new characters alongside classic DC ones from the last 60 years and set in a city that was as much a character as any of the humans. Well Robinson is currently writing Superman (which is merely alright, I was never a massive fan) and Justice League of America which is coming along just lovely…
Robinson has brought back the 1970s Starman Mikaal Tomas only to have his life pretty much destroyed by the villain of the piece. He’s made friends with a bloke who is now a super intelligent and strong gorilla though so he might get through this. The latest issue has a little appearance by one of those classic DC characters that Robinson made his own: it’s only the bloody Shade! :
This got me super excited. Justice League: Cry For Justice is a mini series with beautiful painted art and once this ends Robinson is on the main book. There’s a nice video interview with him over at Comic Book Resources that I recommend.
The other mainstream-yet-smashing team book for me right now has to be X-Factor. Not the tedious telly talent sap-fest but a rather dysfunctional ‘family’ of mutants (and ex-mutants) who run a detective agency when they’re not getting their friends pregnant, being trapped in an apocalyptic future, pitching in during alien invasions or other scrapes. The current volume is about to reach its 50th issue and then its numbering does that old chestnut of incorporating the old volume and jumping to issue 200:
There’s an interview with writer Peter David over here for any interested parties.
In non-graphic books, Douglas Coupland has a new book out and I hope I can get through it when I buy it. I’m a bit fussy and won’t waste my time if they don’t grab me after the first 50 or so pages which I think is fair enough. Bonus point for his odd grumpiness in a recent Guardian interview:
When a mobile phone in a far corner of the room sets off a twinkly ring tone, he freezes again. “Oh, sometimes I really don’t like 2009. Use your indoors voice, not your outdoors voice!” he exhorts under his breath, as the phone’s owner begins to talk. A pair of guests pass by on the landing, talking quietly together as they walk; Coupland tenses, then relaxes in relief. “That’s good,” he murmurs approvingly. “They’re using their indoor voices. Good.”
Oh yes. I bloody hate outdoors voices used indoors, on public transport and even outdoors. Meh.
I’m currently reading Dexter By Design which is the quite recent fourth book in the series and it’s coming along quite nicely. Non-spoiler: There’s been a murder!
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