"Superman Returns: The Movie and Other Tales of the Man of Steel."

WORTH CONSUMING!

Contains the Comic adaptation of the Movie, plus 5 other tales of Superman lore. The Returns story reveals a little bit about why he left Earth. But otherwise, dull. Other tales are awesome, read the book for this, not the movie story.

"The Rabbi's Cat"

WORTH CONSUMING!

A comic book written by the cat’s perspective is very cool! I was extremely interested in these characters. I hope Sfar will write another volume.

I even want to read his “Little Vampire” series of books thanks to this book.

Now comic fans, it is not like reading a DC/Marvel type book. No super heroes or stuff like that. Just good story telling. Art work is pretty good, but uneven at times. And the language gets rough at times. Though the dialogue has some very funny moments. Set in 1920-30’s Algeria and Paris.

Highly Recommended.

"Nightwing: Year One (Batman)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

When you’re 13, living in a circus, performing an act as a trapeze artist and one day you witness your parent’s harness break and they fall to the ground in a giant splat, I think society wouldn’t be disappointed if you came out with a little baggage. Heck, Danny Bonaduce had it all and it looks like he’s going to kill himself any day now on his reality TV show.

So when the life I described actually happened to young Master Richard Grayson, he didn’t eat the lemons life handed him, he made lemonade. A HOLY SOUR PUNCH lemonade.

DC Comics’ Nightwing: Year One is currently available at the Chapel Hill library and it is so worth checking it out. Drawn in the style of the 90’s cartoon Batman: The Animate Series, Year One is refreshing, familiar, and awesome. The story compacts several years worth of stories told in Batman, Detective Comics and the Young Teen Titans to recap Dick Grayson’s change from Boy Wonder to Man Wonder.

The early eighties is a part of the Batman mystique that I never really read. It looked to dark, was done in multiple part episodes and I swear, Two Face was on every cover. Yet from reading Nightwing: Year One, I was able to learn just how interesting this forgotten period in the history of the bat it was. Year One is a tale of a fall from stardom as Batman fires Robin, it’s a trial as Grayson finds his place I this world, and it’s a redemption as Grayson becomes his own man without the help from his family and friends.

Year One also focuses on one of Comics History more ignored characters, Robin II, Jason Todd. Voted dead by Comic collectors in the late 80’s, Todd’s Robin never really had a chance to become his own man. True, he was a punk, rude, and very arrogant. Yet someone must have liked him, because when they made Batman Forever, the Robin they used, was Jason Todd’s alter-ego, plain and simple. Even though he was called Dick Grayson in the movie, I don’t think Robin I would ever take the Batmobile out to score with hookers.

Bust them, sure. But never score! Holy double breasted comfort, Batman.

"100 Best Books for Children"

 

WORTH CONSUMING!

Except from my blog "Journey Through the Dewey Decimal System. http://bbchilldewey.blogspot.com/

It’s amazing that the books I read for this Dewey project start out as books that I would have no use for in my daily life…and end up trying to become an expert at, or wanting to learn more about. I guess this is the pitfalls of being a History major.

The 100 Best Books for Children, by Anita Silvey, is a beginners guide for anyone who in interested in learning about good-no, great children’s books. Written by the editor of Horn Book Magazine and author of other books on the subject of children’s literature, this book is an excellent introduction into the world of juvenile fiction (although, Silvey does include a couple of non-fiction books in her book, such as The New way Things Work and Anne Frank: Diary of A Young Girl .

Many can benefit from the suggestions made in this book including: Parents starting out a library for their children, teachers and summer camp directors, librarians wanting to create a summer reading program, and children themselves. Even those without children could find a wealth of knowledge with this book. Those young at heart who want to relive their childhood or the book collector who wants to start a children’s book library will need to read this book.

I enjoyed re-reading about some of my childhood favorites, like Caps For Sale and The Snowman. But don’t expect to find many classic titles made before 1900. Peter Pan, The Wizard and Dorothy, and Alice are strangely absent from this list of 100 children’s books. Though legends about Snow White and John Henry do appear.

Silvey also makes it a practice to not focus on anyone Author, which is good. Thus Authors like Dr. Seuss and Beverly Cleary are limited to one entry a piece in this volume. However, this should not prevent a curious reader from reading more from a children’s author that they happen to fall in love with.

Thankfully, by allowing no more than one book per author to be reviewed, the author has freed herself up to focus on current children’s books as well. More current titles include Harry Potter, Tuck Everlasting and A Winkle in Time. Also included in her reviews are background stories about artist collaborations, how an author came up with a character, or how difficult (or easy) it was for a writer to get their works published. Even interesting facts about the writers abound in this work. For example: how many of us knew the Ezra Jack Keats of The Snowy Day fame wasn’t black, but in fact a white Jew from the Bronx?

This book is highly recommended. But it should be noted that since 100 books doesn’t even touch the surface to the wealth of classic children’s literature in the world, the reader should not be prejudiced to Anita Silvey if one of their childhood treasures is absent from this book. My all time Favorite, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs was omitted and I still found time to forgive Mrs. Silvey.

Captain America Vol. 1: Winter Soldier, Book One

Capt. keeps getting better and better. I don’t know why I like to read Captain America. I’m not a huge America fan. I would prefer a Colonel Canada or a Brigadier England better it seems. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Capt. America is a member of S.H.E.I.L.D. now. I am quite fond Nick Fury’s spy stuff. Maybe that’s why.

This series is so good I am anxiously awaiting Volume 2. Now, here’s my question in regards to the book Captain America: Avengers Disassembled, where does this book take place. Cause I have read Disassembled. So for true Capt. America fans be sure to find out the order of these books in relation to the Comic Series. Especially since I am starting to think there is a volume 2 (like I spoke about) and then comes Avengers: Disassembled.

If anyone knows, please let me know!

"Just Curious, Jeeves : What Are The 1001 Most Intriguing Questions Asked on the Internet"

WORTH CONSUMING!

It’s always good to get a fact book and not know everything in the book. Sometimes books like these insult your smarts. Definitely worth reading though some questions about firsts or world records are now dated as the book’s about 3 years old.

"Marvel 1602 Volume 1 HC (Marvel Heroes)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

This is required comic book reading. It should be on college RR lists. I want a sequel. Do you here me Neil Gaiman? Let’s have Marvels 1652.

The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe

Wanna win Jeopardy's DC Comics Trivia Challenge? — 2006

Well too bad, there’s no such thing. But if there ever was, get this book. Whoever wrote this has either A. Every DC Comic known to man, B. Too much time on their hands, or C. All of Above.

For those who love to find flubs in movies, this is a book filled with them. I can’t tell if they wrote something under say Batman, and then 3 months later, were writing an entry for Nightwing and added something in a more current issue or if fact checking wasn’t such a big deal in writing this book. It’s made by DK and comic fans are almost as bad as Trekkies when it comes to getting the fact straight. So I think the editor wasn’t familiar with DC Comics and didn’t check the facts or worse, he was a Marvel Purist, (just Kidding, I like Marvel too).

But, if you have questions about storylines up to about 2003, like facts about the Imperiex War, or just wanted to know why Barbara Gordon is now The Oracle, check this book out.

"Thud! A Novel of Discworld" by Terry Pratchett

WORTH CONSUMING!

The City Watch Books are by far the best books in the Discworld series. But, it is not the best. Still It’s worth reading, but I recommend Guards! Guards! or Men at Work, if you want to read the best of the series