Another Pleasant Pictorial: Comics Items In My Office and Workplace!

My love of comic books and graphic novels being what it is, I obviously have a lot of trinkets, memorabilia, and keepsakes that reflect this.  While I'll eventually get around to showing off all the stuff I have at home, I figured I'd start a pictorial featuring all the stuff I have at my office, and also some other neat comic related items featured at my workplace.  As any of my co-workers will tell you, it's pretty easy to tell I like comics by just spending a few minutes with me.  Well, if you step into my office, it becomes pretty obvious too.

Enjoy!

My mother couldn't ever get me to decorate my walls in my room or house, but my supervisor was able to get me to 

decorate my office.  I was like, "Okay, bring on the comics stuff!"  Note the calendar over the printer, which is still set to May and features Rogue.  It will have another picture later. 

I'm trying to spread the love around, but currently the Iron Man lithograph is currently off on its lonesome.  I'm not too worried, though.  Stark can afford a little time in solitary.  He'll get wall-mates soon enough.

Okay, so not only do I favor superhero comics, but I'm also partial

to Marvel heroes.  This New Avengers poster was purchased in

direct reaction to my supervisor's demand for office decoration...

... as was the Spider-Man bobblehead.  He wasn't particularly lonely, but a coworker thought he was, and brought me the Spidey thimble (which I love!), and the Spidey food container.  They hang out regularly, and for the most part get along.  Except when the thimble gets all smarty on the bobblehead, who then just stomps on him. :P

Even my corkboard isn't immune to comics-related memorabilia.  

Call it excessive pride, but I've pinned a flyer from an event I put 

together earlier this year, the Houston Comics Talent Panel.  It was

a learning experience, and a lot of fun.

This preservation bookmark is from the Library of Congress, and 

is specifically about the preservation of comic books.  This kind of 

thing makes me happy!

The Green Goblin will be trying to pumpkin-bomb me on a daily

basis this month, according to my Marvel Heroes calendar.  The

Green Goblin on a Marvel Heroes calendar... so very wrong.

Stark may be alone in this photo, but again, I'm not too worried...

... for he is the Invincible IRON MAN!  And besides, he loves

himself too much not to like some time alone once in a while.

Now we're gonna move to the Teen Room in my library (note: I LOVE the fact that we have one!).  A context shot of the

comics and manga collection, which are always circulating--the area is constantly in need of shelving and straightening.

These posters are about the merits of reading graphic novels,

which all too often are subjected to unfair criticism from some 

parents and customers, who don't think they are "real" reading.  

They are!

Another such poster on the other side of our manga collection.

For my part, I read a lot of graphic novels and comics, and find the

stories, artwork, and overall experience an amply rewarding on an

intellectual, entertainment basis.  

Final poster shot, and end of this pictorial and my impromptu 

soapbox.

SIX MONTHS!!! :D

On November 30, 2011, I started this blog, The Comics Cove, intending to write about comics-related topics.  While I've mostly written reviews about comics, I've also covered a number of topics: film and book reviews, comics conventions, costumes and cosplay, tropes and conventions in mythology, and discussions of specific heroes and villains.  Today, it gives me great pride to inform my readers that as of today, I've managed to write every day in The Cove for six straight months.

It hasn't always been easy.  I've had to make this a second priority, and it's meant curtailing a lot of activities I've loved doing in the past.  I don't play video games anywhere near as much as I used to, as writing takes up a good hour or so each day, usually in the evenings after work.  It's cut into date nights, outings with friends, and I've often had to plan ahead with my writing on occasions where I simply wouldn't have otherwise had time.  It's a logistical challenge at times, but it's given me a good handle on planning, time management, and keeping motivated.

For the reviews, I've covered a number of genres, though I know I've always clearly favored superhero comics.  I've also talked about novel adaptations, children's comics, strong girl characters, horror, historical, and fantasy comics.  I've taken discussion topics I've had with my friends and put my thoughts on them up here.  And, unbelievably, people have read them with some regularity.  A few intrepid followers have even posted reactions to my thoughts in the comments section, and for those I thank you!

One new project I've started working on is setting up a mini-studio for doing video reviews.  This is mostly due to inspiration from haydenclaireheroes, whose video reviews on ComicVine have been such a joy to watch, support, and comment on.  It'll be a long project, much like the costumes: I'm working on acquiring a wireless webcam, and assembling a good background and filming area on limited space.  I managed to acquire some good art for the backdrop from Comicpalooza, and I'm hoping to get the space set up sometime in the near future.

I started a fiction blog, which has thus far only received a couple entries in April.  For the record, I haven't given up on fiction writing, but have had to keep The Cove my priority while managing my time.  I will be writing more scripts and prose fiction, but it will have to be comparatively sparse to the robust output here for the time being.  I've recently seen some opportunities for submissions, though, and I'll be planning to put keyboard to computer for them in the near future.

It's all been hard work and great fun, and I intend to keep writing on The Cove for as long as people want to keep reading.  Please let me know if there's a comics-related topic, issue, or subject you'd like to discuss.  I'm always up for suggestions, and would love doing a response to anything my readers would like to discuss.

In the meantime, I'll keep writing.  If you keep reading, I'll be here.

Comic Review -- Batman and Robin #9: Robin Hears a Hoo / Peter J. Tomasi, Lee Garbett, Andy Clarke, Ray McCarthy and Keith Champagne

Okay, this is a pretty awesome cover.  I don't know much about Damian Wayne's Robin--and so far don't like much of what I've learned about him--but something about this shot really makes me really root for him.  I'm not sure if it's the double under-hand grip on the swords, the fact that a boy of single-digit age is dauntlessly facing a trained adult assassin in sword combat, or the colors, composition and line work, but the effect is for me to just say that this cover rocks.  My biggest issue with it is that there's really no swordfight between Damian and the Talon in the pages of the comic.  Otherwise, great job there!

Robin receives Alfred's distress call and at first tries to join them at the Batcave.  Alfred reroutes him to a nearby target on the Court's hit list, General Benjamin Burrows, who Damian reaches just as one of the Talons takes out several of the general's men while they're on a training exercise.  They start to escape, but Burrows is injured, and Robin has to drag him to his command post.  When they reach his men, Robin tells them to set up a perimeter and commands them, in the style of a general, to repel the Talon with gunfire until they run out of ammo and the Talon manages to take them out.

Standing over the general, the Talon begins talking about how Burrows is actually the descendant of another man whose family he was supposed to have wiped out over 200 years ago--his hit on Burrows is a matter of personal fulfillment of his duty as the Court's assassin.  Before he can finish his task, Robin shoots him through the head with a grappling line, and strings him up on a tree branch, admitting that he and Talon have more in common than he'd care to admit.  Severing the hanging Talon's head with a sword, he escorts the limping general to safety, commenting that whatever it was, the assassin had actually died long ago.

This was an interesting introduction to Damian Wayne as a character for me.  I'd only seen snippets of him in previous comics, and I really hated what I'd seen.  He was a pint-sized, know-it-all, Mary-Sue character in a Robin costume who made for an unworthy successor to Tim Drake (I'll admit I'm biased here--Tim was my Robin, when I started reading Batman comics as a teen).  Here, he's presented in a less over-the-top manner, as a kid who's perhaps aware that he's grown up sooner than he should have, and acts more adult and matter-of-fact than I've seen him do in the brief glimpses I'd seen previously.

One of the most telling moments in the comic, for me, was how he started for the Batcave--showcasing both his loyalty to his father and his youthful impulsiveness--yet how he calmly and immediately accepts Alfred's orders, realizing that there's a larger picture at play as well as the fact that Alfred and Batman likely have things well in hand at the Cave.  It's scenes like this that make me like and respect a character more than fighting ability, or whatever knowledge the writers want to insert to show that he's smarter than the adult soldiers with whom he's arguing.  Good job on the characterization there, Peter Tomasi!

Artistically, I enjoyed Garbett's line work as well as Clarke's illustration of the Talon's monologuing--he actually did a pretty good rendition of George Washington.  Garbett must have enjoyed drawing so many decapitations and beheadings, as there were plenty to go around this issue.  It was therefore a fitting end to the Talon's "life" in this comic, when Robin took a sword to him.  He's also good at showing Robin's diminutive size against a larger foe and the adults around him, making his deeds and poise all the more impressive.  Kudos!

Overall, this was an action-packed and fairly intense issue, where a boy's wits are pitted against the assassin's fervor as he tries to protect his target from the Talon's wrath.  The artwork is good, the writing flows nicely and has some good character moments, and the plot is well executed.  Definitely worth a read for Night of the Owls and Batman fans, and not a bad stand-alone.  Highly recommended.

Oh, and by the by... I loved the title for this story!

Comic Review -- Batman #9: Night of the Owls / Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and Rafael Albuquerque

This would be a slightly confusing cover if you haven't read this series up to now, with the Cylon-Batsuit staring out at you over what I assume is Wayne Manor.  It's exceptionally bad-ass if you know what's going on though, and the Talons caught in the reflections of the mask's visor actually look daunted.  This is why you do not mess with Batman, ever.  He prepares for everything!

Batman has picked up where he left off in the last issue, coming out of the Batcave's armory in a tank of a Batsuit designed to withstand environmental extremes.  He throws down on the group of Talons, taking a large number of them out before they overwhelm him... and then get trampled by Batman's dinosaur statue.  Batman heads out into Gotham, makes his way to Arkham Asylum (covered in Detective Comics #9), and heads to Lincoln March, who dies just after handing Batman a piece of paper.  Reading it, Batman tells Alfred he knows where the Court is... and that he's going to burn their house to the ground.

In a follow-up story, Alfred's father, Jarvis Pennyworth, recounts the story of his association with the Wayne family, and how he blames himself for the Wayne family becoming enemies of the Court of Owls.  He implies that, if Alfred has indeed read the letter, whatever Jarvis has done, Alfred likely knows what the cause is.

I've made no secret of how much I'm enjoying the Night of the Owls crossover going on amongst the Batman family of titles.  The last issue of Batman sent a shiver through me when I finally put it down, and the follow-up in Batman #9 continues to lay down the sense of epic, creeping dread that has been so expertly delivered in this series and the tie-ins to this story.  Now Batman has decided to actively push back, and as all Bat-fans know, things are about to get seriously ugly... for the Court of Owls.

One thing that is spot-on and which never falters is Batman's sense of confidence.  Whether it's commenting that he can simply play harder as he lays into the Talons or coolly knocking the last one out with the Batmobile as the Talon tries to escape, it never fails to impress me.  This is a guy who has looked into the abyss many times, and always makes whoever's on the other end blink first.

I was saddened by Lincoln March's death, but I'm also a little suspicious of it.  He hung in just long enough to gasp a message for Bruce Wayne to Batman.  I don't know if he's just a figure intended as a springboard of sorts for Bruce, or if he's faking his death and is somehow aligned with the Court, but I can't claim either would really surprise me at this point.  I really would have liked for March to have been an actual, live, genuine BFF for Bruce Wayne.  If anyone needs a civilian bromance, I'd say it's him.

The Jarvis Pennyworth storyline kicks off an interesting and potentially very vital look at the relationship between the Pennyworths and the Waynes, and seems to center on a secret they are keeping from the family they serve.  I'm eager to see what happens next, as the Pennyworths' influence over the Waynes, while subtle, must not be for nothing, and the sinister nature of whatever information they've concealed from them doubtless holds a vital link to the Court.  More, please!

I've said plenty about how much I love Capullo's artwork in this series, so I'll only say this time that he maintains his usual high standards very well.  I saw a lot of hate for Albuquerque's artwork in last issue's additional story, and am more than a little puzzled.  While I admit it's a different style than Capullo's, it's very beautiful and fitting to the tone of the stories.  I can't help feeling people are punishing the artwork simply for not being Capullo's, and I don't think that's right.  Albuquerque's artwork is sinister, evocative, and an excellent fit for the tone of the Night of the Owls storyline.  I for one hope to see more of it!

Overall, this is a strong continuation of this storyline.  I continue to bow to Scott Snyder's take on the Batman mythos, as well as the evocative and striking artworks provided by Capullo and Albuquerque.  If you haven't read Night of the Owls, do yourself a favor and start.  I think this will go down as one of the classic Bat stories.  Highly recommended.

Reflections on Comicpalooza

As you can see from the pictorial posts from the last couple days, I was at Comicpalooza this last weekend, and had a wonderful time meeting the fans, creators, and professionals that came to Houston to show off our vibrant comics and pop culture scene.  Aside from taking a bunch of pictures of people in costume, I was also there in a professional capacity as a librarian, working the Houston Public Library booth on Friday and giving a presentation on libraries and their benefit to the comics industry with several co-workers.  Both experiences were fun, and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.

I bought a couple of art items from local vendors as well, as I'm very eager to support Houston- and Texas-based artists and creators in the comics industry.  Some of the vendors I patronized this year were:

• Tentacle Kitty, a monstrously cute creation from Houston, according to their website.  They had cute posters and other arty things on their table, featuring their mascot.  Check them out for ultra-cuteness!
• Mark Nasso, whose Land of the Rats I reviewed and enjoyed recently.  Mark creates his own comics here in Houston, and had an excellent Wolverine print that I had to have.
• Miguel Zamora, an artist based out of San Marcos.  His prints were excellent, and after my younger sister bought one of his Harley Quinns, I got a Nightwing/Batgirl and a Spider-Man from him.
• After Twilight, a comic published in Houston, set in Houston, about a dystopian future.  The protagonist is a librarian, so I can't wait to read it!
• Brass Comics, another local publisher, composed of Bruce Small and Zach Q.  Each creator had a comic I picked up, and can't wait to read and review.
• A few titles from CCP Comics, which is based in Austin.  I talked with the artists and creators for a bit, and was impressed with the quality of their products and happy that such a publisher was only a little ways away from Houston!

I bought wares from several other tables, but can't currently find contact information or cards for them.  Hopefully I can correct this soon.

I also spoke with some of the creators as an aspiring professional, particularly about gaining exposure for my work and finding an artist for it.  I've had lots of positive and challenging experiences working with artists on my comic, and it was good to have other creators give their perspective, experience, and advice on how to forge ahead.  I got lots of good advice and made a couple of prospective contacts among them, and hopefully they won't be too annoyed to hear from an aspiring comic script writer in the near future.  I hopefully at least made a good impression!

This was the first time I went to a con with even a semi-developed idea of what I wanted to get out of it.  I'm proud to say that I accomplished most of what I set out to do, and look forward to attending other cons in the future, as time, finances, and energy allow.  For now, thank you, Comicpalooza!  I enjoyed you this year, and look forward to 2013!

More Comicpalooza Pictures!!!

Today was the last day of Comicpalooza, and also makes for the last bit of self-allowed laziness in my writing for a while.  It was both cause of celebration and sadness as things came to a close, but I'm eager for next year's event, and am excited at the possibility that I might expand the professional and fan opportunities I've touched upon at this year's convention!

Anyway, enjoy these last pics of costumed con-goers from today.  Good-bye, Comicpalooza 2012.  It was a blast!

Mr. George Takei himself!

Comicpalooza Picture-rama!!!

I haven't played Assassin's
Creed, but I recognize the look
immediately.  Not a bad fan effort.

This will be both an enhanced and slim post.  There's plenty of pictures, but not much that I'll be writing tonight.

I figured I'd take a few choice pictures of all the excellent costumes and looks that people have put together for today's trip to Houston's comic convention, Comicpalooza.  It was quite the feast for the eyes, as it seems every geek, nerd, dork and dweeb from Houston was there, and in proud form.  I unapologetically count myself among their number!

I've been here all weekend so far, in both a professional and fan capacity.  The presentation about libraries and the comic book industry went well, and there were plenty of interested hangers-on afterward who wanted to talk to me and my co-panelists.  It was a nice feeling. :)  We worked the HPL table afterwards, and helped customers register for library cards and showed that the library carries plenty of graphic novels.  We got quite a few applications, which was wonderful.

The Doctor was there, along
with his wife, the TARDIS. :)

After that, I had purchased a 3-day pass, and wandered to all the various events and exhibits at the con.  As you can see below, there was plenty to see, and my phone actually ran out of power from taking so many pictures, among other reasons.  Take a look and enjoy the images!

I was particularly struck by two things: first off, the costumes looked great.  Everyone obviously put their passion and effort into their presentation, and there were so many people asking and posing for pictures that it was very heartwarming.  Also, everyone in costume was very accommodating and cheerful about posing for pics.  There was nothing but happy reactions to picture requests, and I think that says a lot of good about this particular culture of Houstonites!

Possibly very amusingly, I'm looking forward to the day when I can be the big geek someone stops and asks to take a photo with or of.

Come on, Nightwing costume...

Wonderful Codex costume effort from a photogenic con-goer!

Possibly more pictures for tomorrow's post!

Insane he may be, but this Deadpool was very eager to pose for
pictures!

There were many exhibits, but I thought this Tentacle Kitty booth was particularly adorable-yet-disturbing.  

Contrary to public perception, Rorschach turned out to be
completely gracious and polite in public.

A Dalek and K-9 display... :)

Cap and Iron Man!

A completely silent, but totally expressive Portal Companion
Cube!

The most awesome Harley Quinn at the con today!  Not only
did she look the part, but she was completely in character, with
the voice and everything!

An excellent Riddler costume!   Disagree?  Play Arkham City!

A bird's-eye view of the exhibits from the second floor of GRB!

And a corresponding look at the stage floor!

GN Review -- Sense and Sensibility / Jane Austen, Nancy Butler, and Sonny Liew

While this isn't the first graphic adaptation of an established novel that I've read--The Last Unicorn and The Alchemist come immediately to mind--it is certainly the first one I've read of a novel that by far predates the twentieth century.  Jane Austen is an author whose work I haven't consciously tried to avoid, but who I wasn't at the time sad to have missed.  Having seen several films adapted from her works, I now feel like I should have read them, as the characters are enjoyable.  With Sense and Sensibility, I finally get that chance.

Sense and Sensibility, at least in this version of the story, is about two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, two young ladies who are at or nearing marrying age at the time their father passes away.  Despite his wishes, their half-brother John, at the hard-headed behest of his domineering and materialistic wife Fanny, abolishes them, along with their mother and younger sister, to comparative poverty on a meager cottage out in the country.  Out in the countryside, having to make new lives for themselves, the sisters endure parallel adventures in love, heartbreak, and happiness as they each try to navigate the murky depths of courtship.

Elinor, who is an intelligent, chiefly intellectual woman, governs her passions to such a degree that Marianne, who is younger, more expressive and passionate, wonders if she has any feelings at all.  These differing personalities of course influence the kind of men each courts, and while Elinor handles her disappointments with quiet acceptance and deliberate introspection, Marianne wears her heart on her sleeve, at one point falling ill in despair over a failed romance.  Despite their different personalities and approaches, the sisters Dashwood love one another, and support each other as best they can when the other needs it.  When their fortunes finally take a turn for the better, they learn that perhaps their extreme approaches could do with a little more balance between the passion of love and the sensibility of logic.

As far as classical novelists go, I've heard that Austen is definitely one of the more pithy and readable authors out there, and if this adaptation is any indication, what I've heard is certainly true.  While there's not much of the action most comic readers would expect to go with the medium, there's certainly a lot going on, right from the get-go: a father passes away; a headstrong daughter-in-law moves in and makes herself the new mistress of the house; the wife and daughters of the father are essentially evicted; and they are moved to a smaller, comparatively dingy cottage.  Anyone who's ever had to depend on another family member's prosperity or fortunes for their livelihood should be interested in this story, as it's the story of how one's fortunes can change very quickly, often depending on more than just the individual.

The characters were also very memorable, particularly the sisters.  Both at times bordered on ridiculousness with their extreme personalities, and I found myself identifying with each of them as I remembered various points of my own life.  I also liked the character of Willoughby, the dashing young man who seems to good to be true--and eventually is proven to be exactly that--and Colonel Brandon, who I almost immediately visualized as being played by Colin Firth in some adaptation for film.

Artistically, I found myself enjoying Sonny Liew's alternately realistic and cartoony drawings.  I felt like they really complemented the tone and period of the setting, and they reminded me somewhat of the caricature-like political cartoons that often grace the political sections of newspapers.  I don't immediately know if they were around at the time, but they lent a convincing air to the tale that I appreciated.

Overall, Sense and Sensibility was a refreshing break from the many superhero comics I find myself reading these days.  The characterizations are memorable, as is the artwork, and as an introduction to Austen, I found it accessible.  I don't know how thorough it is--and Jane Austen fans, feel free to enlighten me if you want--but I did enjoy it.  Highly recommended.

Comic Review -- AvX VS #2 / Steve McNiven, Kieron Gillen, John Dell, Salvador Larroca, Morry Hollowell, and Jim Charalampidis

I like the illustrations on this cover.  Colossus looks out of his mind with rage as swings at a nimble and no-doubt quippy Spider-Man, while Gambit and Captain America both look like serious business as they struggle against one another.  While I'm not crazy about the large title in the center of the cover, it does make for a nice divider.  Not bad.

These two match-ups go a little more in line with what I expected in terms of an outcome, with plenty of action, name-calling, and destruction, along with a peppering of more AvX Fun Facts.  Though they eventually end up proving pointless within the context of the larger story, it's fun to see these match-ups with some detail and dynamics, as opposed to the brief gloss-overs you tend to see in the larger story.  A fight will start, and then move to another fight, and so on, before getting back to the main story, and such a sprawling narrative really needs a companion series like this, where things can really get exposed a little more in-depth.

Gambit may be one of my favorite X-Men, but watching him get his butt kicked by Captain America was actually very satisfying.  Theirs was actually a good fight, and Gambit got in an especially clever move by charging up Cap's uniform and making it explode while it was on him.  While I was a little surprised at how quickly Cap got up from that, I wasn't at all surprised when it came down to a fistfight, and Cap royally beat the crap out of Gambit.  I mean, for pure melee combat, there aren't many heroes that I think could stand toe-to-toe with Captain America.

And while I'm a big Spider-Man fan--you've seen my picture, right?--I'm not too surprised about how the Spidey-Colossus fight turned out, for two reasons.  First, Spidey was very cocky and presumptuous towards Colossus-Juggs, which is never a good way to go into a fight.  I don't know enough about Colossus since he acquired Cyttorak, but I'm betting he's even tougher than Cain Marko's Juggernaut.  So I'm willing to concede he may have an edge over Spidey.  Second, though, I don't think they'll do an issue where there are two Avengers or two X-Men wins in the same issue.  Just not gonna happen, as you'd risk alienating Avengers or X-Men fans.

When Cap won, I figured Spidey was going to lose.  And so far, my logic's worked.  We'll see if it stands up over the run of these issues.

Artistically, I like Dell's art in the Cap/Gambit match-up better than Larroca's in the Spidey/Colossus fight.  It's more realistic, less cartoony, and nowhere near as overdone.  Cap and Gambit both look like actual people within their uniforms, and while Spidey looks good in his story, Colossus looks too extreme, particularly with his facial expressions.  It's not bad art, but there was a noticeable difference between the two.

It almost makes me wonder how they would look if the artists would switch stories and draw their own versions of the others.  That'd actually be kind of cool to see, now that I think about it.

Overall, I am enjoying this mini-series, and can't wait to see more match-ups.  Are they great storytelling?  No.  Are they witty?  In places.  Are they full of action and destruction as two heroes beat the snot out of each other?  YES.  And that's what this series promises.  Successful delivery.  Highly recommended.

This Week's Adventures In Comic-dom

So, it looks like I'm completing a resolution I hadn't even consciously made for this year.

I think I remember at some point, telling myself that one of my goals in life was to be able to attend comic book or pop culture conventions as more than just a fan, as someone who has at least the slightest shred of authority and/or community in the comics world.  I figured that, eventually, when if I ever manage to get some comics written and published, this would be the reason it happened.  In the mean time I'd work on attending as a fan, making connections, and so on.

It turns out, in some small way, that I'm already going to be doing the expert thing.

For those of you who don't already know, Houston will be playing host to Comicpalooza, which is in its fifth year (I believe), and has grown significantly with each passing year.  I've been to all but one of them, including the first year, which was way out on the northwest side of town in a small strip mall.  Now it's at the George R. Brown Convention Center, its third year in this venue, and attendance is expected to be in the many thousands.

I will be attending all weekend this year, and can't wait to see all the celebrities and cosplayers, the writers and illustrators, both famous and struggling.  I've met and worked with a few of them already, and will hopefully lay the foundations for working with others in the future.  But unlike previous years, I won't just be attending as a fan and an annoying chatty guy looking to rub elbows with the people who make the comics industry work.

I'll be attending as a presenter.

This Friday, on the first day of the convention--heck, during the first couple hours of the convention--I and three other comic book-inclined librarians from the Houston Public Library system will be giving a presentation entitled, "Barbara Gordon and You: The Library's Role in the Comic Book Industry."  It's an hour-long panel about how libraries can benefit the comic book industry in various ways, and vice versa.  Essentially, we'll be discussing how libraries benefit the various communities associated with the industry: the publishers, the reading public, creators, schools and academic institutions.

My section--which should last all of 10 minutes, if I'm lucky--will talk about how libraries have, do, and will continue to benefit creators.  It's something I have a little experience with, as I've moderated panels at both the library and at Teen Book Con that have been about graphic novelists, their contributions to the field, and how they got their start in comics.  I've therefore gotten to work with some pretty remarkable individuals, and aside from my librarian work with customers, have a little perspective on what they would consider helpful and positive about libraries.

Does this mean I will stop pursuing my dream of writing comics?  Hardly!  One of the big reasons I want to go to Comicpalooza this weekend is to network with artists and see if I can find a collaborator or three for my comic.  I've had good and bad experiences working with artists, but there's no reason not to try again, and this is the perfect environment to get a partner and see what we can do.

But in the meantime, I at least get to say that I'm attending in at least a semi-professional capacity.  And this makes me smile a little in my soul. :-)

Comic Review -- Avengers vs. X-Men #4 / Jonathan Hickman, John Romita, Jr., Scott Hanna, and Laura Martin

I know I've been pretty critical of this series, but I must admit I like this cover.  It says, "Get Hope."  We've got the young lass on the run, the Phoenix getting nearer, and two teams full of heroes hot on her trail.  It sells the issue pretty well, and Jim Cheung's pencils here really make it look pretty.

Wolverine, who has done a hilariously admirable job of surviving in the Antarctic since Captain America marooned him there last issue, is picked up by Hope Summers, who tells him he's the only one she trusts to finish her off if she can't control the Phoenix--but, she stipulates, she deserves a chance to try.  Wolverine reluctantly agrees, and as the other teams fight each other while trying to track Hope down, he raids  the A.I.M. Worldworks and helps her secure a shuttle to the moon.  Once there, she is confronted by the Avengers and the X-Men, who threaten to start fighting over her fate once more, until Thor comes careening into their location.  He's been hit hard by the Phoenix Force--which has just appeared to all of them.

It's too late.  For better or worse, the Phoenix is on hand.  If it's gunning for Hope, it will probably get her.

Things finally got a lot more interesting in this issue.  I'm not sure if it's due to Jonathan Hickman's deft handling of the material or if there was an emergency editorial meeting that mandated things actually get more readable, but either way, this issue is a marked improvement over what's come so far.  Hope's seeking out of Wolverine for the reason she ostensibly ran away--that he was willing to kill her--was unexpected, and makes me a little more willing to give the girl a chance in the hero department.  Up until now, she's just been a badly written teen, full of snot and noise at all the wrong times; now, she's shown a real willingness to own up to how big all this Phoenix business is, and I do like that.

The beginning of this issue had me in stitches, for two reasons.  First, seeing that Wolverine killed a polar bear and used it as a gory overcoat was nothing short of hilarious.  And of course, Hope using beer cans as bread crumbs to lure Wolverine to her aircraft was a tension-breaking touch of genius that showed that Hope--along with Hickman--knows how to motivate the tough-talking mutant.  Brilliant.

The montage of fight scenes between the two teams as they work their way around the world in search of Hope felt a little obligatory and really did little to add to the story except remind you to BUY AVX VS FOR THE FULL STORY OF THESE FIGHTS.  While I intend to do so--the writing in the first one was better than the writing I'd seen in the first three issues of this main series--I think it's worth saying that this kind of blatant salesmanship is a little insulting to the reader.  If you want to make these fight scenes important to the main narrative, I'm all for them, but for fate's sake, MAKE THEM RELEVANT.

Finally, there's the artwork.  I don't think I've made any secret that I'm not fond of John Romita, Jr.'s artwork for something this expansive and wide-ranging, so I'll stop crowing as much about it for a while.  I will say there's been some moderate improvement in various scenes, particularly the ones where he's just focused on one or two characters per panel.  I really did like the partially shadowed Wolverine at the A.I.M. base after he's just gotten done slaughtering a bunch of bad guys.  His renditions of Hope are also pretty good in some places as well.  It's like when he's just got a little to concentrate on, he does decent.

Overall, I'd say this issue is worth picking up.  The writing is engaging, the artwork is a little more palatable, and things really appear to be coming to a head.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and the Great Puppet Theater / Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins

My memory of the first volume of Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer is a book that had a good premise, but that ultimately felt underwhelming due to that premise wearing thin quickly.  There were a lot of twists and turns that I saw coming, jokes that were overused, and a plot that I'd seen too many times in other works.  It wasn't a bad read, but I couldn't help feeling that it could have been more.  I'm pleased to say that its sequel, Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and the Great Puppet Theater, delivers a much more engrossing narrative and really ups the stakes in a positive way.

Having slain his creator-turned-vampire Gepetto in the last book, and now having to ally himself with a friend who's now a vampire, Pinocchio coldly continues his quest, his anger threatening to consume him.  When he and his comrades are overwhelmed by a large group of vampires, they are rescued by the wooden puppets of the Great Puppet Theater, who have met him before.

They begin a hunt for the vampire who turned Gepetto, trekking across Italy to find him, but have more than a few significant obstacles to overcome, from the interpersonal dramas within the ranks of the theater puppets to Pinocchio's distrust of Cherry's vampiric bloodlust.  When a tragic turn of events deprives Cherry of his life, his fairy friend Canpenella turns him into a real boy, making him a liability in a fight.  Canpenella dies as a result of the spell, and soon after, Carlotta is kidnapped and taking to sea by the vampires, who are in league with the villainous Fox and Cat.  Despite a dogged pursuit and valiant fight aboard the vampires' ship, Pinocchio and his puppet friends are left adrift at sea, their fate uncertain as the vampires escape with Carlotta as their prisoner.

Taking another turn at the darkly irreverent humor that made the first book so popular, Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins deliver a worthy tale that combines adventure, dark fantasy, and just enough laughs to keep things from getting to gritty and serious.  And believe me, there are some fairly serious twists and turns in the narrative.  Pinocchio's unabated bitterness and anger at his station in life is made explicit, and they are ultimately the cause of several big turns for the worse.  On the other hand, you have the hilarious personalities and squabbles of his puppet brethren, as well as the occasional wordiness or idiocy of the vampires everyone fights lightening things up from time to time.  It's a delicate balance to maintain, and these gentlemen pull it off nicely in this volume.

Dusty Higgins's artwork does an excellent job of supporting the narrative.  It's dark and gritty, with expressive undertones that make plenty of room for the story's humorous moments.  While it does look a little rushed or indistinct in some places, there are many more where it truly shines.  Pinocchio's fight with Cherry is both vicious and heartbreaking, and the ship to ship fight between the vampires and Pinocchio's forces is exhilarating to behold.

Overall, if you liked the first book, I'm pretty sure you'll like this one even more.  It's got a lot going on, packing character drama, adventure, humor and dark fantasy in one enjoyable package.  Highly recommended.