Books Read March

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2 - 10 (GN 2003-2008) - Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Jose Marzan, Jr., etc.

When I had a stomach virus in early March, I read just about the entire 10-volume run of Y: The Last Man. It’s a very readable, very hard story to put down about a plague that wipes out the entire male population except for a man and his pet monkey. It’s definitely a quest story with all sorts of action/adventure, death/violence, f-bombs and the like, but you can’t say it’s not compelling; Vaughan sure knows how to write a story. A movie adaptation has been in the works for some time, possibly staring Shia LeBeouf.


Planetary: All Over the World and Other Stories (GN 2000) - Warren Ellis, John Cassaday, Laura DePuy

Three superhumans, known as the organization Planetary are tracking down the world’s secret history. (C’mon, we’ve all been wondering, right?) Weird things happen, secret things, otherworldly things. It’s sort of like The X-Files with superpowers. Good stuff.



The 13th Hour (2009) - Richard Doetsch

This thriller, about a man who’s been given the ability to go back in time and relive each previous hour with the hope of preventing his wife’s murder, has some exciting moments, but grew tedious after a few chapters. Maybe it's just me always being suspicious of time travel stories...


Daredevil: The Devil, Inside and Out, Vol. 1 (GN 2006) - Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark

With very little proof, Matt Murdock has been locked behind bars, suspected of being Daredevil (which he, of course, is). As an added bonus, the prison is packed with criminals DD helped put there for years. It’s hard to believe that Brubaker could produce such a nail-biter that barely shows Daredevil in costume, but the tension sustained in this volume (as well as the starkly drawn work of Michael Lark) is incredible.


A Dark Matter (2010) - Peter Straub

Thoughts here.


Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl? (GN 2000) - Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Avon Oeming

Detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim set out to solve the murder of Retro Girl, one of the city’s most popular superheroes. Sounds routine, yet it’s anything but that. A great combination of noir, superheroes and police procedural.


The Death of Captain America Vol 1: The Death of the Dream (GN 2007) - Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Mike Perkins

I highly recommend reading Marvel’s Civil War graphic novel (see below) before tackling The Death of Cap, otherwise you might be as confused as I was.



Jar City (2000/2004) - Arnaldur Indridason

Police procedural set in Reykjavik, Iceland that weighs heavily on atmosphere and detective work, yet still comes across as a gripping read. I definitely plan on reading more by Arnaldur Indridason.


Sacred Scars (YA 2009) - Kathleen Duey

Like it’s predecessor Skin Hunger, Sacred Scars takes its sweet time moving forward, but once it does, it’s fascinating. I’m afraid many teens won’t have the patience to even get to the second book, but the rewards in this series are (so far, anyway) well worth the wait. Told in alternating points of view, both books deal with a school of magic where students must learn or starve. (Hogwarts is a kindergarten compared to this school.) Loaded with mystery and subtlety, Duey has created a fascinating world.



City of Thieves (2008) - David Benioff

A writer asks his grandfather to tell his story of World War II and gets far more than he bargained for. The old man tells of how he survived the Siege of Leningrad, killed Germans, fell in love, and discovered a friend he would never forget. Powerful storytelling. I actually listened to the audiobook narrated by Ron Perlman, which was superb.



The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language - Eugene Peterson

Just what it says: The Bible in contemporary language. A great first Bible for many people, easy to understand and in many instances enlightening.


Cemetery Road (2009/2010) - Gar Anthony Haywood

Three young friends commit a crime in Los Angeles and vow never to see one another again, living with the consequences in silence. Yet twenty-six years later, one of the friends is murdered, causing one of the two surviving friends to break his silence by investigating the murder. This stand-alone novel is wonderfully crafted, full of humanity and suspense. Seek this one out; it’s definitely worth your time.


Civil War (GN 2007) - Mark Millar, Steve McNiven
The characters in the Marvel Universe are being forced to sign a superhero registration act which would (1) allow them to be sanctioned and protected by the government and (2) force them to disclose their identities. Some superheroes are more than eager to comply with the legislation, but others make their feelings known in some very interesting ways. And some switch sides. (I wish I had read this before I read The Death of Captain America.)


Signal to Noise (GN 2007) - Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean

A stunning portrayal of a filmmaker who is dying, yet insists on making one final film, even if the film can only be played in his head. I read this in the midst of a death in my family, so the work had an even greater impact on me than it might have otherwise had. Exceptional art and a hauntingly beautiful story. Probably not for everyone, but it really resonated with me.


Stitches (GN 2009) - David Small

This is one of those books that’s so good, that evokes so many emotions that are so painful that you'll probably never want to read it again. But you should read it once. A dysfunctional family story that will stick with you long after you’ve finished it. Powerful stuff. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

That's it. Get out there and read something.