This last year has been so odd. With the end of Democracy and the implosion of many social media platforms people have been going back to the humble blog. Well, I've been here all along and I welcome you. All eighteen million of you! In my wildest dreams I never thought that many people, or possibly bots, would ever stop by, so, you have made this last year even more baffling. Because while the world is collapsing, things here at Strange and Random Happenstance are moving apace. When I started this blog back in 2009 I had one goal, get free books. Once that happened I started to add other goals. And it was never about the numbers, it was things like, be thanked in a book and get a pull quote from one of my reviews published. I achieved that thanks ten years back in Mary Robinette Kowal's Of Noble Family. And as the years went by, I never thought I'd get that pull quote. Last year my friend Stuart Douglas asked if I would blurb his book Death at the Dress Rehearsal. There was some confusion with his publisher so despite sending in my review it wasn't used. I was fine with this. Well, no I wasn't, but it was par for the course. Which means I was beyond joyous when the second book in the series, Death at the Playhouses, came out and my preorder arrived and there was my quote. In black and white. Right at the bottom. I might have danced about, shown everyone in the house, and then taken tons of pictures and posted them all over my social media. So, a banner year for the blog, a bit of bruising with regard to everything else. But I did actually meet my reading goal this year, which, given everything, was a miracle. As is tradition, I will now try to remember what everything I've read in the last year was about. It's not just a test of my little grey cells, it's also a cathartic release, a screaming into the void, here's something I've done and I'm going to yell the unvarnished truth! Because, you are forewarned, this are sometimes more brutal than my actual full reviews. As I've said, it's an unburdening, so I tell it like it is.
1) The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict: This is it! This is THE Alexandra Benedict book! I always knew she had this in her. She's finally learned how to balance the trauma dump with the characters and the mystery they face with Edie O'Sullivan solving a mysterious puzzle related crime. I'm not surprised Edie is getting a second outing. This is Alexandra Benedict at the top of her game.
2) The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter: I can't describe how much I hated this book. It's billed as two authors, one cozy, one thriller, going to the estate of a murder mystery maven for Christmas and then solving her disappearance. They solve nothing. Well, they solve the fact they're attracted to each other and then that leads to the devolution of this book into cringe level romance with the disappearance NEVER BEING SOLVED! I mean, at least solve the crime while making out? Also, I really hate this cover. So I guess maybe I should have judged this book by it's cover?
3) Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson: If there's a book I read this year that I hate more than The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year it's this book. Kate Atkinson and I are through. Again, billed as a fun murder mystery at a grand estate it's just Jackson Brodie talking about how much he loves his new car and while being hired to find a missing painting just having all the answer land in his lap with zero work involved and Kate Atkinson referencing all the tropes she's not using so that you know that she's writing this horrible pile of shit on purpose. It wasn't meta, it wasn't even mediocre, it wasn't even meh.
4) Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother by Barry Sonnenfeld: To me, Barry Sonnenfeld is a god. He directed The Addams Family and that is easily one of my most favorite films of all time and a film that greatly influenced who I am as a person. This is the first volume of stories about his life before and in Hollywood. What makes this book work is that he has a way of writing that makes you instantly feel like you've been friends forever and wherever he takes his story it's going to be a hell of a ride. What makes this book hard to read is that he was repeatedly sexually abused as a child by a relative and his parents knew about it and did nothing. He tries to sell the story at the end that his parents were good people. If your son is being abused and you knowingly let it happen, even think he might be enjoying it, you are evil. This book needed a BIG trigger warning. So, here it is for you if you haven't picked it up yet. It is worth the read despite the trauma which I really think he hasn't addressed in his own life and needs to.
5) Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros: What can I say? I love dragons. I loved learning so much about Andarna. And no. I have no idea how they did that sex scene.
6) Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick: A beautiful coming of age tale about two boys who meet in Rome and the summer they spend exploring the city and each other and the stories they spin. More adult that Selznick's previous work it's simply stunning. Easily a contender for my top ten of the year.
7) The Nice House by the Sea #5 by James Tynion IV: Um, not sure what happens here... I know what happens in the fifth issue because it was a cliffhanger that I can't wait to see resolved in February, but here it's probably just the people in the sea house trying to find a way to destroy the people in the lake house because there can be only one! Yeah, aliens have weird rules in the human manipulation games.
8) One for Sorrow #1 by Jamie McKelvie: Revenge and a lady dressing up like a bird if I'm remembering rightly. I do remember wishing there was more...
9) The Spy Wore Silk by Andrea Pickens: Females taught in a secret spy school to wield their weapons, from the wits to their wiles using any means necessary, be it the sword or their sex appeal. Our heroine is posing as a courtesan and making the men she needs to investigate at a country house party compete for her affections in order to root out a traitor. True love and sexiness ensue.
10) The Mitford Trial by Jessica Fellowes: Of all the Mitford mystery books by Jessica Fellowes this turned out to be the most bearable. Louisa goes with Muv, Diana, and Unity on a cruise around Italy so that Diana and Mosley aren't seen so much in the scandal rags. Nazis, death, dishonor, all of it happen on a boat going the wrong way around Italy. Seriously, look at a map while reading this book and you'll see what I mean.
11) The Mitford Vanishing by Jessica Fellowes: This tale in the Mitford mystery series deals with Jessica running away with Esmond to Spain. I think there was another missing person. I don't remember. All I do remember is thinking that people are getting from London to Paris to Spain way faster than is plausible.
12) The Mitford Secret by Jessica Fellowes: The thankfully "final" book in this series, please let there never be another, should have been my favorite as it takes place at Chatsworth during Christmas and involves an historical mystery that turns deadly in the "present day." It was just so boring. And, really, to make the Mitfords boring should be a sin punishable by a fine or imprisonment. If you do want some good Mitford media check out BritBox's Outrageous. SO GOOD!
13) James by Percival Everett: I mean everyone knows what this book is about right? It takes Mark Twain's story about Huckleberry Finn and flips the narrative to be about his companion Jim. This book is amazing on so many levels, including making me realize I remembered more about the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn than I would have ever guessed. But it's a book that shows the evil of slavery on so many levels, like how literature's representation of slaves created Uncle Tom, how white people expect their lessers to act a certain way, and how, with humor, Percival Everett shows the blacks playing along to protect themselves. What's most surprising is the humor in this book which is why I liken it to a very dark Key and Peele sketch.
14) Games Untold: An Inheritance Games Collection by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: If someone had warned me in advance that this was romance themed I would not have picked it up. The romance aspects of the Inheritance Games are not at all why I read these books. So to have a book just about the romance, and about Hannah and Toby in a shack pining for each other for so so many pages, I would have skipped this. At least the story about Christmas was bearable.
15) Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins: A triumphant return to Panem! This is easily the darkest entry yet where we learn how Haymitch became Haymitch. The answer to that is by being selected to compete because he was a good person. He fought, and plotted, to get back to his family and his girl. Of course, we know he wins. But he doesn't really win because Snow kills everyone he loves and he just sits in his house and drinks. What I loved about this book wasn't that we got to see so many characters before their later appearances in the main trilogy, but that Haymitch, unlike Katniss, is not a passive character. He plots, he schemes, he doesn't just react.
16) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: After reading Sunrise on the Reaping I felt like I needed to stay in Panem a little longer. It was odd but it felt like a comfort read. Perhaps because the bad people get what they deserve. So, Katniss volunteers for to take her sister's place and foils the Gamemakers so that she and Peeta both win. Reading this after reading about Haymitch made me realize what a passive character Katniss is. She's great at survival but she only reacts to a situation, she doesn't plan ahead. She lives in the moment. And while that gets her through the game, it's not going to get her through the rest of her life. Which is why it's lucky she has Peeta and Haymitch.
17) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: My favorite book in the original trilogy. Amazing betrayals and turnabouts and a setting that is unforgettable. What I love is that even in adversity people can find a commonality and band together. Obviously the victors have more in common than most people, but it's wonderful to see their drive.
18) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: I really disliked this book when I first read it. There are so many things that just annoy me; Finnick's death being so lackluster, Prim dying, Katniss having a child. These are things that just didn't work for me. Rereading it all these years later, I mean, I get that Suzanne Collins is showing that no matter how hard you fight bad shit still happens and you have to find the silver lining. But when Katniss loses the one thing she was fighting for? That seems a little too cruel.
19) The Deviant #9 by James Tynion IV: The finale of The Deviant! FINALLY! Five months waiting is too long though James Tynion IV is torturing me even more with The Nice House by the Sea right now! So, who was the copycat killer who was framing our protagonist who was making a comic book about his life and how a certain serial killer in Milwaukee, not THE serial killer from Milwaukee, influenced his life? It was, of course, the prison guard. Makes sense. Oddly enough was also the solution of an episode of Prime Suspect I watched recently.
20) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: In 2024 I devoured The Long Halloween and it's sequels, Dark Victory and When in Rome. So when it was announced that Jeph Loeb had written the final chapter to this series I was excited. I mean, I had trepidation, Tim Sale had passed on, but they rather thoughtfully chose artists to replace him each issue and the interviews with them at the back of their issue were fascinating. So, despite my worries, the problem here isn't the art, the problem is I have no idea what this was about or why this story was told. I have read all ten issues and I can honestly not tell you what happened at all. There was something about a doctor at Arkham and Gilda Dent faking a pregnancy and maybe being in love with the actual killer, not her husband. Seriously. If you know what this was supposed to be about please tell me. Because right now the only thing I can think of is it's setting up a sequel series for Catwoman's When in Rome story which was so painfully bad it's best forgotten.
21) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #2 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
22) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #3 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
23) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #4 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
24) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #5 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
25) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #6 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
26) Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch: The newest Rivers of London book is Peter and family going on vacation to Scotland to investigate a large cat sighting. It was basically the previously worst book in the series, Foxglove Summer, combined with one of the best, What Abigail Did That Summer. Except Abigail has grown up too much behind the scenes and the series never works outside of London and there wasn't enough Nightingale. To say this depressed me for quite a while is an understatement. I love Ben Aaronovitch, and this just wasn't up to his usual standards. Though the foxes were brilliant as always.
27) Nine Lives of Salem by Cullen Bunn: I believe this is Salem killing his most loyal minion and it was too dark for me. Also we ever getting anymore Sabrina?
28) The Nice House by the Sea #6 by James Tynion IV: A yes, the cliffhanger that won't be resolved until next month. In other words, the two alien enclaves of exceptional humans are about to go to war for their very survival and Norah might just sell everyone out at the lake house.
29) The Sisterhood by Tasha Alexander: Oh my, I love Lady Emily so so so much. This latest outing, which I didn't think I'd love because it was set in London instead of a far-flung country, is about a debutante being poisoned at her engagement soiree. There's lots of interviewing of other deb suspects and of course the victim's family. But the real culprit might be closer to home. So shocking and so timely. What I loved most is how women can support or tear each other down and there's no one more vicious than the female of the species. Also Boudica makes an appearance.
30) Star Wars: Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege #1 by Alex Segura: I.
31) Star Wars: Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege #2 by Alex Segura: Have.
32) Star Wars: Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege #3 by Alex Segura: No.
33) Star Wars: Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege #4 by Alex Segura: Recollection.
34) Jim Henson's Labyrinth #3 by Kyla Vanderklugt: OK, so this is a pretty much a scene for scene interpretation of the film but without songs. Don't read this. It will annoy you. Watch the film. I just did recently myself. It's still fabulous but I think I'm changing which is my favorite song from "As the World Falls Down" to "Within You."
35) Jim Henson's Labyrinth #4 by Kyla Vanderklugt: See above.
36) Jim Henson's Labyrinth #5 by Kyla Vanderklugt: See above.
37) Jim Henson's Labyrinth #6 by Kyla Vanderklugt: See above.
38) You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper: I had such hopes for this book. I really wanted to love it and yet in this murder mystery the reader most solve I wasn't just annoyed that the motive was immaterial and you were just looking for the character who had the means, but by having to read the statements of all the suspects it was worse than bad, it was boring.
39) The Autumn Kingdom #3 by Cullen Bunn: I should probably be getting a reread on of this series soon as we're finally getting the next arc, but it's about a family who realizes that trolls and creatures are real. Our two plucky protagonists have to rescue their parents and avoid lots of danger. There's also a big ass sword. I love this current fad for authors in comics to have been writing about real magical worlds instead of making things up, see also Helen of Wyndhorn and The Artist Immortal. Oh, and obviously The Magicians series. But that's prose.
40) The Autumn Kingdom #4 by Cullen Bunn: See above.
41) Let This One Be a Devil #1 by James Tynion IV: This is a very atmospheric folk horror version of the origins of the Jersey Devil. Of course I didn't know it was about the Jersey Devil when I started it, I just got it because it's written by James Tynion IV and the Jersey Devil aspect was a wonderful surprise. Totally recommend.
42) Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr by John Crowley: So, there's this crow, it's immortal, and travels through the lands of the living and the dead and has had many lives. First he was in early England, before the Romans, which was wonderful and dealt with finding out how to live with humans for their mutual benefit. Then there was a monastic part and his human counterpart was an asshole. Then he traveled to America and eventually met a man whose wife had recently died and he tries to help him on his journey but it gets really surreal and I'm not quite sure that the ending didn't make the whole book a dream. In other words, the first section was awesome, the rest was ever diminishing returns.
43) The Serpent Dance by Sofia Slater: Lady murdered in Cornish glass house in a sort of locked room mystery that was all about finding yourself and people exploiting that knowledge. There were also a lot of weird local traditions, but I really like Sofia Slater. Perhaps not the most original, but a fun mystery for sure.
44) Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett: And herein started my Emily Wilde obsession. All Emily wants to do is go north and study faeries but then her colleague Bambleby trails along. Everyone loves him and loathes her spikiness. But when bad things start to happen in town they join forces to help the locals, because Bambleby is more than he appears. He might just be deposed faerie royalty...
45) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #7 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
46) Jim Henson's Labyrinth #7 by Kyla Vanderklugt: See above.
47) The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt #1 by John Allison: So this is the second "Bump-Off" arc, the first being set, basically, on GBBO, which makes the acronym for this series hilarious. Here it's about two warring quilt stores in a small town and one Shauna Wickle helping both while really just trying to get the money together to repair a boat she damaged. It's not very succinct of a story or as funny as the first arc. But I did like the history lesson of "American" quilting and that each issue had a different pattern in the front.
48) Let This One Be a Devil #2 by James Tynion IV: See above.
49) Let This One Be a Devil #3 by James Tynion IV: See above.
50) Something is Killing the Children #41 by James Tynion IV: OK, so this is the beginning of the big flashback arc which I assume will end with the reveal of how Jessica, Erica's mentor, died. So this all happens at a very Kubrickian ski lodge where a monster is killing everyone on the trails. Jessica, very drunk and out of control, has a dark history with this place, so she's getting even more drunk than usual. Erica is trying to cover for her and keep things together, but they are headed towards a reckoning, which, as of writing this, hasn't been resolved AND looks like it won't be happening anytime soon as the next issue isn't out until April!?! That can't be right. Please, someone say that isn't right! April!?!
51) Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett: The second adventure with Emily Wilde sees Bambleby the target of his stepmother's ire and he's been poisoned. They need to find a door into his world, and fast, to save him. They head up into the Alps where another famed dryadologist disappeared because her research seems to indicate that she found a door into Wendell's world.
52) Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo: The first time I read the adventures of Alex Stern I hated them. Sexual abuse too lightly handled being my main issue. The second time I loved it. Dark academia and Alex battling ghosts and demons and, well, I can't wait to find out what her destiny means as it's not yet uncovered in the second book. Speaking of which...
53) Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo: I dove right into the second book which I'm hoping I'll like better on my reread for the third and final book coming out later this year. Here it's about getting Darlington back from hell and all that entails and what consequences arise. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer Thaumogenesis.
54) The Messengers: Owls, Synchronicity and the UFO Abductee by Mike Clelland: This is about alien abductions and the importance of owls. They can be screen images, they can be heralds, they can be anything really, but this book by Mike Clelland clearly show there is a connection. I wish he would have gotten into his own experiences sooner, but they are so out there that I think it was wiser to show his more academic recounting before going into the stuff people would be less likely to believe. And yes, owls will totally freak you out after reading this book.
55) The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst: Oh my, this is cozy perfection. Kiela is a librarian who flees the capitol with as many books in her care as she can due to the rather violent overthrowing of their leader. She's accompanied by a sentient spider plant, Kaz. They return to her home island where she just means to lay low until she can return to the capitol. I mean, revolutions are over quite quickly, right? But then she gets involved in saving her small community who welcomed her back with open arms. And it's amazing how quickly you can get invested in the making of jam and healing trees and dangerous storms that threaten winged cats. But I was totally invested. Totally.
56) The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler: The little ghost who was made of a quilt isn't like other ghosts. They are made out of diaphanous fabrics and he's just sad and too hot. But then he discovers Halloween and shares his experiences with his friends and everyone is happy. So delightful.
57) The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler: In the sequel we see that our quilted friend was made to wander through a winter wonderland. But all his friends are trapped at home and cold. So when he learns about Christmas he brings the tradition back home and shares it with everyone. Inclusive and sweet.
58) Snotgirl #16 by Bryan Lee O'Malley: OK, so Snotgirl is back for the first time in five years. And what do we get? Lottie and the mysterious girl are now officially a couple and they spend some time with Lottie's mother, who in the only plot I've enjoyed in this entire series, turns out to have been a big pop star back in the day. Oh, and now the series which in twenty issues has delivered nothing is switching to being TPB releases only. I think it's time I call it a day. This series has been nothing and continues to be nothing. From Bryan Lee O'Malley who used to write good things this is just a shocking waste of his talent.
59) Snotgirl #17 by Bryan Lee O'Malley: See above.
60) Snotgirl #18 by Bryan Lee O'Malley: See above.
61) Snotgirl #19 by Bryan Lee O'Malley: See above.
62) Snotgirl #20 by Bryan Lee O'Malley: See above.
63) The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt #2 by John Allison: See above.
64) Seance in the Asylum #2 by Clay McLeod Chapman: So, a spiritualist is brought into an asylum to help the inmates, walls are breaking down, reality is collapsing, and then? She was the inmate all along! FFS what a cop-out.
65) Seance in the Asylum #3 by Clay McLeod Chapman: See anger above.
66) The Burial Witch by Cari Thomas: A prequel novella set in Cari Thomas's The Language of Magic series. This is about Miranda and how her religion and her budding witchiness are at war. Think the best horror you've read with a religious bent and that is this book. I actually don't want to spoil it too much it's that good. But just know, good girls who are under too much stress can go to the bad.
67) With a Vengeance by Riley Sager: Our protagonist's father's reputation as a railway man was destroyed in an accident that wasn't his fault and killed his son. He died in prison and his daughter has learned on the deathbed of another family member that her father was innocent and it's time she prove it. So she has gathered up all the people she suspects and used the last of her money to hire out the train her father built and they are heading to Chicago. Nonstop. And she's going to learn the truth. The problem is someone else doesn't want her to learn the truth and people start dying. Not Sager's strongest, but still a great read.
68) Redwall by Brian Jacques: I first read this book over twenty years ago and while I remember it vaguely as basically rodent Brother Cadfael, it's a little more complex. There's an evil rat who wants to take over Redwall Abbey and the inhabitants of the abbey aren't scared of the villain's reputation and stage a valiant campaign to protect what is theirs. Lots of animal death but oddly cozy as the deaths aren't lingered on and, well, there's a lot of tasty food mentioned. So, it's a comfort read for me, and yeah, it is weird how comfort reads and death sometimes go hand in hand.
69) Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett: The wonderfully perfect ending for Emily and Wendell. He's returned to rule his faerie kingdom but his stepmother and abdicated queen has cursed the land and only Wendell's death with save it. Emily, not being one to give up and knowing how much the fae rely on stories to inform their actions, she hunts out the a story that could save the day. It obviously works.
70) All Systems Red by Martha Wells: Yes yes, I'm finally on the Murderbot bandwagon. In Murderbot's first adventure there's all sorts of shenanigans on a planet because of old artifacts and someone willing to kill for them. Murderbot of course does a better job of killing and saves the day and makes some friends along the way. Of course Murderbot would rather be left alone to watch their shows.
71) Shady Hollow by Juneau Black: Oh, this is such a cozy yet murderous book. Think Emmet Otter meets Twin Peaks when the local recluse of Shady Hollow is murdered and the crack newspaper reporter Vera Vixen is on the case. The cops are inept, the corpse count is rising, and Vera's very life might be in danger. Everyone has a secret and for the first time people are locking their doors. I can't wait to read more books in this series. Oh, and they're animals. Literally. Though, according to the intro technically figuratively too?
72) Seance in the Asylum #4 by Clay McLeod Chapman: See above. AKA the final issue that destroyed this series.
73) Let This One Be a Devil #4 by James Tynion IV: See above.
74) Jim Henson's Labyrinth #8 by Kyla Vanderklugt: See above.
75) Something is Killing the Children #42 by James Tynion IV: See above.
76) Kevin Smith Presents: Archie Meets Jay and Silent Bob One-Shot by Kevin Smith: I wanted to like this but firstly, if you haven't watched Clerks III there are a ton of spoilers, and well, Archie working at the Quick Stop is just whatever. The only joke that made me laugh was the parody of the Eras Tour with Joise and the Pussycats called the Ersatz Tour.
77) The Knives by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips: Oh, now this was awesome. We haven't had any new Criminal content since 2020 and with the adaptation coming soon to Amazon, well, it makes sense to revitalize interest with a new story. And this so did it involving Jacob Kurtz, the comic artist, getting interested in doing his own work again after being dissatisfied with Hollywood in a very meta story. The feeling of Hollywood glamour worn away and tarnished by age is magnificent. There's also some nice, well, criminal aspects. But I personally have always been drawn to Jacob.
78) The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt #3 by John Allison: See above.
79) The Umbrella Academy: Plan B #1 by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá: OK, here's the thing. I love The Umbrella Academy. The show. Well, not the final season, but, that's a whole long discussion for another day. So, I've never really liked the comics. They just don't work. Because of my love of the show I read them. But now that I no longer have the show I was interested to see what the comics would do with the Sparrows because with the show ending they were left by the wayside. The problem is this sticks closely to the bad comic arcs which have been so sporadically released that I don't even know if die hard fans could even keep track of what's going on. In other words, I was lost, I was bored, I will pretend that there's nothing other than three seasons of the show and the Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman dance number. That is all.
80) Doctor Aphra - Chaos Agent #1 by Cherish Chen: So, the Star Wars comics have finally reached the time period right after Return of the Jedi. Which means they're far more open to doing whatever the hell they want. The New Republic wants to clean up the galaxy, get dangerous artifacts under control, just make things safe. Which means they need people of dubious morals. Enter Doctor Aphra. She's willing to help. Mainly because they don't give her a choice. But she does what she's known for, and goes off book. I have a feeling this was meant to be bigger and badder, they team her up with Luke and Han and Chewie and then an unknown sister appears and she's like the bigger badder Aphra and it abruptly ends after four issues. I mean, anything was better than that spark enteral crap of the last arc, but this was, this was just nothing.
81) Doctor Aphra - Chaos Agent #2 by Cherish Chen: See above.
82) A Bride's Story, Vol. 8 by Kaoru Mori: Life on the Silk Road in painstaking detail. This one is about Pariya, she's a bit much, loves making bread, and is worried about her future. I relate. Hard.
83) The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt #4 by John Allison: See above.
84) When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #1 by Gus Moreno: This was an interesting and artfully drawn comic series about exorcism in South America. It was predictable but at the same time used the tropes in a fascinating way. I would totally read more if there were more. Sadly this is one and done. Which is usually how the best comics are.
85) When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #2 by Gus Moreno: See above.
86) When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #3 by Gus Moreno: See above.
87) When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #4 by Gus Moreno: See above.
88) When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #5 by Gus Moreno: See above.
89) Our Brilliant Ruin: Horror at Crane Mansion #1 by Cullen Bunn: I think I've mentioned before that I find it odd that they market these comics to non role players because they really are just RPG tie-ins, which means I probably wouldn't have bought them had I known despite them being written by Cullen Bunn. So this was so sort of ball there were crystals and cosmic horror. It was enjoyable and brief. But slightly baffling.
90) Our Brilliant Ruin: Horror at Crane Mansion #2 by Cullen Bunn: See above.
91) Our Brilliant Ruin: Horror at Crane Mansion #3 by Cullen Bunn: See above.
92) Ruined by Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Niki Smith: A sweet Regency comic about a marriage of convenience that actually turns into real love. Also delicately handles anxiety and LGBTQ representation.
93) A Bride's Story, Vol. 9 by Kaoru Mori: Still about Priya and her bread!
94) A Bride's Story, Vol. 10 by Kaoru Mori: Karluk and Amir, the OG couple are back.
95) Arkham Horror: The Terror at the End of Time #3 by Cullen Bunn: OK, so not part of Our Brilliant Ruin: Horror at Crane Mansion, but the same thing overall could be said so read that above and then I'll add that it was meh. Rescue your sister but sacrifice yourself and get lost in time? No thanks.
96) Arkham Horror: The Terror at the End of Time #4 by Cullen Bunn: See above AND above.
97) Hello Darkness #5 edited by Bryce Carlson: Top horror talent in comics comes together to make the most meh anthology I've ever encountered. I originally got it for the Something is Killing the Children arc and then they go release that as a standalone after the fact. That's a cheap shot. Also the story The War was horrific. Just awful. To have the ending being eating your dying newborn!?! No thank you. I really should just stop getting this series but then they announce someone and I'm like, oh, I love insert name here, and I stay. BTW the newest insert name here is Tyler Crook. I can't NOT get it.
98) Hello Darkness #6 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above with the caveat that for some reason I gave this issue five stars. I don't know why. Seeing as my average rating is a two.
99) A Bride's Story, Vol. 11 by Kaoru Mori: Talas and Mr. Smith back together! Talas fell in love with the Englishman studying the Silk Road and its inhabitants awhile back and now she has tracked him down and they are together. Yeah! PS I'm not sure this is the volume where they reunite or if it was in the previous volume. I let myself look at the covers and nothing more as I try to remember what I've read.
100) Hello Darkness #7 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
101) Hello Darkness #8 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
102) Hello Darkness #9 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
103) A Bride's Story, Vol. 12 by Kaoru Mori: Oh look it's the sister wives who are totally lesbians. I mean, it's never stated, but come on! I do find them interesting in that they are of such a higher class than anyone else in the series that we get to see Silk Road luxury. You know, like having two wives. Also, I love their interaction of Talas and Mr. Smith's camera.
104) Hello Darkness #10 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
105) Hello Darkness #11 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
106) Hello Darkness #12 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
107) A Bride's Story, Vol. 13 by Kaoru Mori: Mr. Smith and Talas meet the twins again. They are far more annoying than I remember from first reading the earlier volumes of this series. But this is a cute story about how they want to host their first big dinner and how they pull it off but it's on the verge of going off the rails on a minute by minute basis.
108) Something is Killing the Children #43 by James Tynion IV: See above.
109) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #8 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
110) Hello Darkness #13 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
111) A Bride's Story, Vol. 14 by Kaoru Mori: OMG Amir's brothers and cousins who are usually just all sexy and broody and occasionally funny finally get wives. And they are kick ass wives. While it feels like this series is winding down with Mr. Smith heading off home to England, I want more. I especially want more of these new wives!
112) Star Wars: Thrawn by Jody Houser, Luke Ross, and Nolan Woodard: I love Thrawn because he is the creation of Timothy Zahn and he is how I became I reader. This adaption of one of his newer Thrawn books was horrible. It's not about Thrawn and is just, ugh. It's just ugh.
113) Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge by Ethan Sacks and Will Sliney: I thought I had a vague memory of like a room in this comic, but nope. It's gone. Didn't stay put. Oh well.
114) The Phantom of Linkshire Manor by Marissa Meyer: I want to say there was a ghost who got vengeance on a bad husband and like a new wife or sister-in-law or something. Oh and surly servants. Definitely surly servants. It had a good atmosphere but that's about all that stuck around in my head.
115) Hellboy, Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola: Hellboy! Birthed from hell by the Nazis and well, things didn't go according to plan as he fights for the Allies. He also fights a Lovecraftian cosmic horror at a house sinking into a lake. Very Gothic. Very Mignola. LOVE IT!
116) Hellboy, Vol. 2: Wake the Devil by Mike Mignola: Here it's Hellboy in Europe going after, I believe vampires. It was vampires right? I read way too many books over my birthday staycation and, well, this is the result. Everything merges together. Though it did set me on the path of reading all of Hellboy next year. This and the fact I got like all Mike Mignola's comics in a Humble Bundle. Seriously, ALL OF THEM!
117) Cemetery Girl Book 1: The Pretenders by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden: This graphic novel trilogy is about a girl with amnesia who wakes up in a cemetery after an obvious attempt on her life and decides to just hide out there. She slowly befriends the groundskeeper and an old lady across the street. Bad things happen to the old lady and eventually we learn that amnesia girl's sister was behind it all because of a vast fortune. What started out unique just ended up being too depressing and unrelatable. Also the switch in artist between the second and third volume really didn't help.
118) Cemetery Girl Book 2: Inheritance by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden: See above.
119) The Umbrella Academy: Plan B #2 by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá: See above.
120) Cemetery Girl Book 3: Haunted by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden: See above with the addendum that publishers who bulk out their books by including the entire script for a graphic novel in the graphic novel you've just read should have a special place reserved for them in hell. It wasn't the best the first time I read it and that time I had pictures. Being a completest and having to read the script was excruciating. It also means I will probably never reread this series.
121) Exquisite Corpses Volume 1 by James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh, Pornsak Pichetshote, Marianna Ignazzi, and Valentine De Landro: Jame Tynion IV is usually a must read for me with all his comics being on my pull list. But when Exquisite Corpses was announced I did not feel in the mood for reading his version of The Purge. So when the publishers put it up on NetGalley I was happy to read it. I can say thankfully it's much more complex than The Purge. The thirteen original colonies in the United States are each run by a family. These families control the world. Every so many years, yeah, sorry, can't remember the exact number, they have an "event." This means they each get their own hired killer, they close off a remote town, and whomever racks up the most points, IE kills, and comes out victorious controls the world until the next game. We're following the poor townsfolk in Maine who on Halloween have no idea what's about to go down, except for the Sheriff who was bought off. The killers are complicated, because some are sociopaths, but the one with the fox mask, well she might have different motives. This collection is only the first three comics, but they're supersized. I had reached the conclusion that I'd probably not keep reading this series because comics are expensive but then expiring Kindle Rewards points and a sale means I've read the rest that are currently out. More death and destruction and machinations. I particularly hope that there's an uprising among the elite and everyone is taken down. Hasn't happened yet but it could! Also, my gay boys need a happy ending. Addendum after newest issue. They aren't getting a happy ending.
122) Icongraphics - David Bowie: The Graphic Novel by Brian Freschi and Simone Pace: Run, don't walk, as far away from this book as possible. It's about David Bowie's years in Berlin and makes no sense and looks horrible, especially making his eyes two different colors. He didn't have heterochromia! Also, there's this weird conceit that Bowie found his "true self" while in Berlin and no longer was playing characters. Do they know nothing about Bowie!?! He was always playing characters! I mean, ugh, just, no. I can't even think about this without getting angry.
123) Louise Brooks: Detective by Rick Geary: Louise Brooks was a big star in her day who ended up broke and back in her home town. If you've read The Chaperone or watched the Julian Fellowes adaptation, she's the girl in need of a chaperone. Anyway, the king of true crime comics, Rick Geary, has written an fascinating what if. What if when Louise moved home she become friends with a girl who was then involved in a murder and Louise breaks the case. It's done with his exacting standards and is a far more fascinating what if than The Chaperone.
124) The Bonito City Tragedy by Rick Geary: I actually backed this on Kickstarter because I need all the Rick Geary true crime I can get. This one was in a typical "wild west" town where there was a killing spree starting in a boarding house I believe. Not quite sure on that. I also vaguely recall it took place in a town that has since been flooded for a damn.
125) The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio: Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio have made a lovely picture book about how people who die will always be with us and the Day of the Dead is to celebrate them and their memories. This knowledge comes to our young protagonist missing her grandpa from, I believe, the Four Horsemen. Beautiful meditation on grief and the pain in the world. I would also like to call out reviewers saying that a white woman shouldn't be writing about the Day of the Dead. Firstly, if you read the afterward, this is John Picacio's story, who is 100% Mexican-American. He just didn't have the words to bring it to life and looked to his good friend Leigh Bardugo. So get your story right if you want to criticize.
126) Murder Most Puzzling Peril at Quandary Park: A Mysterious Case to Solve by Stephanie von Reiswitz: There really wasn't a story here, just a lot of puzzles that were interesting, and a lot of them I couldn't be bothered to solve, but the how of it all made me very interested. The mechanics more than the end result is what drew me in is how I would phrase it. Yeah. The mechanics.
127) The Witching Hour by Anne Rice: The first book about the Mayfair witches and boy I was not prepared for how long it was and how weird it was, despite having some idea of the subject matter because I've watched the first two seasons of the AMC adaptation. So Rowan Mayfair is unknowingly the most powerful witch in a long line of witches that are linked to this creature named Lasher. She has been cut off from her family but her saving the life of a man named Michael Curry will bring her back into the fold. She will learn about her family's past and her birth mother. All this is told with maximum distractions, describing cities in detail, a house renovation for a couple hundred pages, oh, and let's not forget the hundreds of pages of the history of the Mayfairs from the Talamasca! There is also rape and creepy rape fantasies. All in all what the fuck did I read!?! PS it took me two months to get through this. And yes, I do plan to read the whole trilogy. I just have to build up to it.
128) The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith: Yes, I should stop reading this series and adding to the author's vast wealth which she spends on destroying the lives of trans people but I'm in too deep. I need to know if Robin and Strike get together! So that you don't fall into this trap and support a transphobe, they do not get together in this book but spend most of the book thinking of each other and he does tell her how she feels at the end and even asks her to marry him seeing as her really annoying boyfriend Ryan is about to propose. Oh, and Ryan being a douche and gaslighting Robin and going off the wagon was so infuriating in this book. Also all the baby crap. And it seems like the crime was totally secondary and was all about sex trafficking and murder in the end. So yeah, exactly the kind of mystery I'd expect from her.
129) What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher: So our lovely sworn soldier has come to America to help an old friend find someone down a mine. There is a lot about mine safety, which is oddly quite informative, but, being this series is all about the Gothic horrors, there are horrors down that mine. Dangerous horrors. And a dog that is totally not a dog. The previous volume was still the best but I loved every time while in a cramped space ka uttering that they were not claustrophobic. PS, don't read this if you are claustrophobic.
130) The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs by Mamiko Shiotani: I remember thinking the design of the ghost was weird and that it was funny to have a Ghostbusters poster in the attic. That's all I've got.
131) The Graveyard Club by R.L. Stine and Carola Borelli: Ugh. This was bad. It was stereotypically bad. Teens being assholes in a town with a mysterious curfew who hang out in the graveyard where all they do is complain about or taunt the law enforcement officials. It was just cringe.
132) Doctor Aphra - Chaos Agent #3 by Cherish Chen: See above.
133) Doctor Aphra - Chaos Agent #4 by Cherish Chen: See above.
134) Hello Darkness #14 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
135) Murder Podcast #1 by Jeremy Haun and Mike Tisserand: This is about a mysterious podcast that if you hear it you turn homicidal. Like blackout homicidal, you will have no memory of what you did but you will kill everyone in your surrounding vicinity. It just appears and plays and you're a goner. There's a group of friends who love to discuss true crime podcasts and one of them is almost the victim of someone who had accidentally listened to the podcast. The more it happens the more interested the group is. But it's part of the background of their lives, they're still going on dates, having dinner parties, all while this evil is coming closer. There have only been three issues so far but I can't wait to see where it goes especially as it took an extra dark turn in the latest issue with having a child kill her mother and younger sibling. Oh, and the group is finally reaching murder board stage!
136) Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer: The final Enola Holmes book was a big letdown. It starts with Enola burying her beloved landlady Mrs. Tupper and discovering a young girl buried alive. The young girl is Moriarty's niece who he has incestuous feelings for. Enola's protecting of this girl endangers everyone she knows and depletes her coffers. It was just not the Enola I love and respect. She felt too out of her element and Nancy Springer felt like she needed to tie Enola more closely into the Holmes legacy when her appeal has always been that she was outside the system, alone. Also, how did Enola use up ALL her money!?! At least I have the previous volumes for solace.
137) Somna by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay: A comic that is very demon dream sex that could just stand for female repression in the time of witch trials. I'm really not sure what happens other than a wife is alone and horny and her neighbor turns on her to save herself. So, yeah.
138) By Earth by T. Thorn Coyle: Heroine, whose name escapes me, moves to Portland to escape her past where she used to help the police solve crimes because she can see ghosts. She hasn't seen ghosts in a long time and then she meets our hero who is still mourning the "suicide" of his girlfriend and they come together to take down corruption in the city wherein targeted fires have been exacerbating the housing conditions and leading to gentrification and people being priced out of their homes. Very much social justice urban fantasy.
139) The Midnight Pack by Jasmine Kuliasha: So, I think this might just win my most hated book of the year. A debunker of cryptids investigates a girl's death in Maine and ends up in the Twilight franchise. I hated this book so much I actually don't want to recap it. It's painful to remember how bad it is. The review is here on my blog, go read that.
140) Investigation, Mediation, Vindication by Chris Tullbane: John Smith is a bad PI who, while drunk, decided it would be funny to place an ad in the phone book that he did "Investigation, Mediation, Vindication." Which comes back to bite him on the ass when all the other mediators in town are murdered and he has to stop a supernatural war from starting. PS, he didn't know that the supernatural world was real until now. It's a sharp learning curve, like vampires can go out in the day. Who knew? Aside from the vampires that is.
141) Dial Witch by Jo-Ann Carson: Dial Witch is part of a bigger series and is so not a standalone like it claims. Our witch in question opens up a shop to help non magical people and everyone in her family is against her and she really pisses off some dragons. Sexual tension, family dinners, blah blah blah. Kind of a Charmed vibe if you actually knew what was going on.
142) The Very Fine Clock by Muriel Spark and Edward Gorey: Sadly, no recollection other than I loved it and the illustrations were fabulous, which was to be expected. Oh, and I need to buy myself a copy.
143) Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave by Justin Jordan and Chris Shehan: Some sort of curse and lots of dead bodies? Maybe. It was confusing at the time and therefore my brain has decided it's not worth remembering.
144) The Littlest Solstice Tree by Lisa Varchol Perron and Ahya Kim: Cute tale about a little tree that wishes to be picked for the solstice tree but there's an older tree that deserves it more and has never been picked. Wonderful tale about coming together in the darkest times of the year because we are stronger together.
145) A Song of the Seasons by Yibing Deng: Animals over the seasons, maybe?
146) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #9 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
147) Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #10 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: See above.
148) Return to Sleepy Hollow #1 by Casey Gilly and Savanna Mayer: It seems weird that over twenty-five years later there is a comic sequel to Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. Katrina Van Tassel has gone home to work as a wise woman and heal her town. Ichabod isn't around though she seems to have had his child. And that child is gifted. There's only been one issue so far so I'm not sure where it's going and I should perhaps rewatch the film, AKA the only time the Headless Horseman was scarier with a head, but I'm hopeful that this will be good.
149) The Girl, the Priest, and the Devil by Theo Prasidis and Staša Gacpar: A young girl's brother dies and her father basically disowns her. She is given some money that the local priest covets and he turns into the devil. Literally. It's a weird story but was beautifully done and shows how women are always oppressed. Here's to more women pirates!
150) Something is Killing the Children #44 by James Tynion IV: See above.
151) Murder Podcast #2 by Jeremy Haun and Mike Tisserand: See above.
152) Hello Darkness #15 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
153) Hello Halloween #1 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above with added pumpkins.
154) Roots Of Madness #1 by Stephanie Williams and Letizia Cadonici: This has only had two issues so far so I'm still getting into the grove of it. But a young woman whose family has a history of healing wants to explore the more modern, chemical aspects of healing and is given a fellowship to go study at a learning facility that happens to be located on the land that was the plantation her family came from. It's heavily in Lovecraft Country territory and so far is fascinating.
155) Doctor Aphra - Chaos Agent #5 by Cherish Chen: See above. Though I think I mentioned it was a four issue arc, oops, it was five. Unless I said five above then yeah me for being right!
156) The Umbrella Academy: Plan B #3 by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá: See above.
157) Red Book I #1 by James Tynion IV: So James Tynion's Blue Book dealt with real UAP events in the United States and now he's taking it to communist countries. The first is set in Russia and the second in China. What's fascinating about this is that so much of this information was quelled and isn't a part of ufology at the amateur level, which is very much where I am. Also, especially with the second issues focusing on China, it's interesting to see how UAP sightings and a fascist state go hand in hand. Still hate the short stories at the back.
158) Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman: Nick Offerman has written a book that is unique in that his writing voice and his speaking voice are so similar that just reading this book I felt like he was there in the room with me. He's celebrating the great outdoors and national parks with trips with his friends, very famous, and his wife, even more famous. While I enjoyed his love of nature and how he explains our connection to the Earth at times I really found his opinions about conscientious farming naive. In fact, he's quite naive about a lot of things, which he freely admits, but he's a rich white man who is able to have it all and, well, despite him acknowledging this, there's sometimes too much of a disconnect when reading the book. If you love those English farmers so much just go live with them! And sure, their model of farming might be ideal, but did you happen to notice that the only reason it works is because the husband is a bestselling author and they have a brand!?! Not every farmer can do that! In fact, they're probably one of a handful that are making it work. Sheesh. Still love him. Just wish he'd get a reality check. At least his siblings seemed to have smacked him down a bit during that Covid Thanksgiving...
159) The Author Immortal #1 by Frank J. Barbiere and Morgan Beem: This is about an author who was obsessed with a book when he was a kid. AKA Quentin Coldwater, but a cheating lech. The world's most successful female author has been cancelled and needs someone to continue her work which ties into said book for her that has the right image. She chooses the lech. Primarily it seems because he has a trans son and she notorious hates trans people. Sound familiar? Author and son arrive in England and are sucked into the fantasy world of the books which are apparently a lot more real than expected and are being corrupted. This started out so strong and so relevant, but the second issue of the three currently available, just stagnated the story. It felt like all momentum had stopped and the reader got a little lost. It needs to be more grounded before throwing us into the fantastical elements. Hopefully it returns to the strength of the first issue.
160) Stone Cold Magic by Jayne Faith: Ella Grey hunts low level demons and helps a girl whose brother got trapped in a gargoyle. She has lots of friends and connections but lies and betrays them all. And of course is hiding a big secret, that she is the niece of the man who might have been the one who unleashed the demons in the world. Oh, and she has special powers since she was mostly dead for a little while.
161) Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Grandest Game continues... Or does it? Because this was just teen angst with some Hunger Games level costume changes and sponsors. It added nothing to this series and just felt like it would never end. Have I mentioned lately how the "games" themselves are absurdly annoying and so specific the reader can't solve them? If not, I don't mind repeating myself on this point.
162) Exquisite Corpses #4 by James Tynion IV, and Michael Walsh: See above.
163) Exquisite Corpses #5 by James Tynion IV, and Michael Walsh: See above.
164) Exquisite Corpses #6 by James Tynion IV, and Michael Walsh: See above.
165) Exquisite Corpses #7 by James Tynion IV, and Michael Walsh: See above.
166) Has Anyone Seen My Hormones?: And Other Hot Flashes of Wisdom from Menopause and Midlife by Anne Taintor: Anne Taintor had those kitschy magnets and overpriced signs in stores everywhere over twenty years ago that paired fridge poetry with vintage imagery. This is just a collection of those, some might be new, or maybe I just hadn't seen them. It was too much of the same and only made me laugh once or twice.
167) Now I See Fall by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: This is a delightful series of board books exploring the world for one little kid through the seasons. Each page is basically the same in each season, just a different view or hat or sugary treat. The simplicity of Klassen's drawings make this an instant classic. I just loved this series and you will too when it comes out later this year.
168) Now I See Winter by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: See above.
169) Now I See Spring by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: See above.
170) Now I See Summer by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: See above.
171) Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Erin Frankel and Stacy Innerst: I have no idea who this book is written for. It's too complex and Sondheim's musicals are inappropriate for young children and theater geek teenagers would look down on getting a picture book and if you're an adult you'll just be like, what was the point!?! All I got from the book was the afterward was more informative than all that came before and it's good to be best friends with the son of Oscar Hammerstein II.
172) Tomb of the Queen by Joss Walker: Jayne Thorne is a librarian who just discovered magic is real and that she is so powerful she might be the first "master" in a long time. She is recruited by the CIA to go undercover in Ireland to find out if the book she wrote a paper on in college is a necromantic text and to infiltrate a terrorist organization that wants to enslave non-magical people. There's a love interest, there's trauma, there's a dark backstory, there's not enough here. It was a total yawn.
173) Red Book I #2 by James Tynion IV: See above.
174) Hello Darkness #16 edited by Bryce Carlson: See above.
175) Roots Of Madness #2 by Stephanie Williams and Letizia Cadonici: See above.
176) The Author Immortal #2 by Frank J. Barbiere and Morgan Beem: See above.
177) When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy: Jess is an actor and a hypochondriac who is about to be thrown into all levels of hell. She goes home early from her diner job because she stabs herself with an unclean needle while cleaning the bathroom. Instead of going directly to an ER because of lack of insurance she goes home, gets drunk, and freaks out. And then freaks out some more when I young kid is in her apartment's communal backyard. She brings the kid in and a monster arrives and kills everyone. Jess accidentally kills a cop and she and the kiddo go on the lam. Turns out whatever the kid fears comes to life and soon the characters from Who Framed Rodger Rabbit are loose and Jess's mom is killed in the chaos. Then they're hiding out in Pennsylvania, but the kid is too powerful and could destroy the world. The kid doesn't destroy the world but it looks like Jess did. At times it was powerful and terrifying, but it should have been a novella with a more clear ending.
178) Murder Podcast #3 by Jeremy Haun and Mike Tisserand: See above.
179) Something is Killing the Children #45 by James Tynion IV: See above.
180) The Voice Said Kill by Simon Spurrier and Vanesa Del Rey: A heavily pregnant warden in the bayou somewhere gets drawn into a drug smuggling operation. The entire time she thinks she's being helped by someone at dispatch but the voice she's hearing in her ear is her unborn child because she's been dosed with some heavy psychotropic drugs in her water. Muddy in art and in the telling. Has a very Annihilation vibe that just doesn't work.
181) Revival, Vol. 1: You're Among Friends by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton: So, I decided thanks to a Humble Bundle deal and the fact that I enjoyed the television adaptation to give the Revival comics a second chance. Wausau, Wisconsin, and the surrounding environs, have experienced something called Revival Day, where the dead were brought back to life. The Cypress family is at the heart of this drama because the patriarch is the sheriff, his eldest Dana, is a cop, and his youngest, Em, was murdered and came back to life. These first four volumes are about people adjusting to life in the quarantine zone but it's oddly fractured. Like here's a newscaster sleeping with her step-brother, they were trying to kill her father but he killed the "son" first and he went off to New York and Dana had to hunt him down. Then there are the Check Brothers who were selling reviver parts on the black market until Em took care of them. Also we haven't learned much about the "passengers" that seem to be the souls of the revived that when they reunite they die, like they were supposed to. But you can destroy the passengers, and Em does so, brutally. Nothing is 100% stated yet so it's still a little muddled. As you can imagine, there are those who want to leave the quarantine, those who want to come into the quarantine, and then those who are just stuck dealing with the new day to day reality. It's better than I remember but the story is told at a snail's pace.
182) Revival, Vol. 2: Live Like You Mean It by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton: See above.
183) Giant Size Criminal #1 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: This was a comic book shop incentive one shot to introduce people to the world of Criminal before the series debuts on Amazon, whenever that will be because I have found NO information about said release. This was a basic heist goes wrong because Ricky Lawless didn't listen carefully and went to the wrong hotel. It was fun and amusing and the "cast of characters" at the back was helpful though why they decided to print it on newsprint baffles me. The soulless and annoying RPG though? I want to forget I ever read it.
184) Revival, Vol. 3: A Faraway Place by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton: See above.
185) The Author Immortal #3 by Frank J. Barbiere and Morgan Beem: See above.
186) Our Soot Stained Heart #1 by Joni Hägg and Stipan Morian: A Nordic steampunk society that needs coal thrives on being bad. One good girl will hopefully change that. Very Dickensian meets Santa Clause mythology.
187) Revival, Vol. 4: Escape to Wisconsin by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton: See above.
188) Exquisite Corpses #8 by James Tynion IV, and Michael Walsh: See above.
189) Through the Boughs: A Yuletide Offering by James Tynion IV, Patrick McHale, Sweeney Boo, K. Wroten, Ryan Andrews, Grim Wilkins, Molly Mendoza, Jim Campbell, Natalie Andrewson, Jensine Eckwall, K. Wroten, Grim Wilkins, Molly Mendoza, and J.K.: This was a simply delightful anthology of quick little Christmas inspired stories, from evil elves who torture townspeople to goblin children being bad and therefore getting the coal that they so desperately need. There wasn't a bad story in the bunch and the art was so unique and beautiful that despite getting this for free as a digital comic I really need a physical copy. And I need to follow of the creators to see what work they're up to.
190) A Bride's Story, Vol. 15 by Kaoru Mori: After binging the back seven volumes of this series for my birthday staycation I was in pain waiting for a new volume to be release. In pain I tell you! This was so worth the wait. Mr. Smith and Talas have left for England and the reaction on telling his family this is his prospective wife sent them into a tailspin. His weird friend, you know the one who totally has designs on him, well, he offers up his family's hunting lodge for them to live in. Mr. Smith will write his memoirs and Talas will keep house and sheep. And perhaps breed her beloved horse. At the end of the day they were off to Scotland to get married, because if they seal the deal then Mr. Smith's family can't complain can they? We also saw some happy endings for their friends who helped them on the final leg of their journey. Ali is finally able to get married! And to a girl who wants him for him not for his enormous wealth.
191) The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay: This started out promising with several different unreliable narrators but then when the police arrived to investigate the murder of the patriarch of the Melbury clan it became so flat. The reader knew information the police didn't, making them stupid, annoying, and useless, because this book needed to be entirely restructured to work. And then, there's all these great possible outcomes, it was the granddaughter who was having an affair with her aunt's secret fiance, etc. etc., and instead they went with evil chauffeur. Evil AND stupid chauffeur.
Louise Brooks: Detective by Rick Geary
The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar by Seana Kelly
The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey
Tea and Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher
An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
Crime Rangoon by Vivien Chien
Tomb of the Queen by Joss Walker
