What I Bought 11/2/2017 - Part 1

As it turned out, there were three books I wanted out last week, instead of two. Both books had a part where I think they went for humor, but they hadn't counted on the irritating stuff in my personal life souring my outlook on the perils of living near other people.

Giant Days #32, by John Allison (writer), Max Sarin (penciler), Liz Fleming (inker), Whitney Cogar (colorist), Jim Campbell (letterer) - This month, Esther is forced to confront her fear of commitment, and must make actual decisions. Or she's stuck in some 32 hour long game of Risk.

The girls' apartment is kind of a crap shack, and the lease is up for renewal. However, Esther's boss at the comic store has a friend who is moving out because he's too depressed over his divorce (and he is destroyed, the expressions Sarin gives him are so sad it's almost heartbreaking, but also hilarious). Esther is ecstatic at her find, but Susan has decided to try living with McGraw (who is tired of Dean Thompson), and Ingrid has issued Daisy the ultimatum: Move in with her in this barely standing warehouse, or they're through. Daisy, haunted by heartbroken Mika, caves. Which leaves Esther with a lovely place to move, and no roommates. Except, perhaps Ed, who is also through with Dean and lost McGraw.

The forward momentum on this book continues to impress. Just last issue the girl's seemed to resolve their differences, and now they're scattering across town. At least it's reluctant, they aren't pissed at each other or anything. It's McGraw's fault. He had to go and jinx that truce he helped negotiate by quoting Neville Chamberlain. Never, ever, hold up a piece of paper and declare, 'Peace in our time.'

I was strangely moved by their landlord's sad reaction to the news the girls would not be renewing the lease. Maybe I was supposed to laugh, but my tendency to reflect wistfully on past adventures produced a different reaction. I wonder if Sandy will somehow remain a recurring character, or if this is truly the end of his ride.

Sarin, Fleming, and Cogar's art continues to sell a lot of the humor, even if this issue had a lot of characters being sad. But they looked sad in lots of different ways. Wistful, or teary-eyed, or Mika with a frown so large it threatens to fall off his face. Esther's nightmare, or the things one has to deal with if Dean Thompson is a roommate. Coming in the living room to that guy lounging on the couch in a short robe would be a deal-breaker for me. The book continues to come through for me.

Atomic Robo: The Spectre of Tomorrow #1, by Brian Clevinger (writer), Scott Wegener (artist), Anthony Clark (colorist), Jeff Powell (letterer, designer) - Uh-oh, things floating in bubbles in dark labs. That's never good.

Tesladyne has set up shop in the New Mexico desert, but are running into problems with their contractors, and their neighbors. Well, neighbor, Richard Branson, who declares Robo has violated a number of community association bylaws and is therefore barred from any further work. I would suggest Robo see if he can kick Branson in the junk hard enough to launch him through the ceiling of his stupid spaceport. However, I am currently being harassed by my downstairs neighbor, who complains I walk too loudly and she's trying to get me to move. Which ain't happening, I was here first, she can fuck right off, but end result is, I'm in no mood for Richard Branson's bullshit interfering in the plot advancement.

Anyway, Robo is tinkering with some little A.I. bots in his lab. Fischer is trying to do something with a piece of that glowy rock from Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur, which is troubling. And when Phil gives a lecture about the safety aspects of implanting reactors into people, someone stands up, then begins speaking in binary. Probably not good.

Phil met an old Tesladyne employee at those talks, Dr. Julie Walker, and tried to pitch her on coming back. She said no, because she wanted to focus on the real work, rather than putting out fires. She said she'd rather chase funding and grants, than deal with dinosaur attacks. What in the actual fuck?! Maybe it loses some appeal after the third or fourth one.

Clark gave the little robots Robo's working a pleasant pink color. I notice their design is somewhat similar to the one Robo had initially in Ring of Fire, before they were able to build him a more functional body. I don't know if that's deliberate. Wegener doesn't get to draw much weird stuff yet, but he gives a good sense of the in-progress, bare bones state of Tesladyne. And I like using Foley, back from a mission, as a way to introduce us to that state. Even if Foley notes not much has changed since she was last there, it brings us up to speed on the new status quo. Good work there by the team.