What I Bought 9/18/2018

I found a new comic store while on the road this week. They didn't have any of the old back issues I was looking for, but they had one book from earlier this month I wanted, which is even better.

In other news, Happy Birthday to my friend Alex, who will hopefully not run me ragged with his birthday weekend these next few days. Or maybe he will! It's his birthday!

Giant Days #42, by John Allison (writer), Max Sarin (artist), Whitney Cogar (colorist), Jim Campbell (letterer) - Christmas depression starts earlier every year. It's not even fall yet.

Esther has decided to confess feelings for Ed Gemmell, despite Susan's concerns that it will upset the character dynamics. And Esther's going with the tried-and-true route of a 20-year old Babylon 5 Advent calendar. Interesting strategy there, Bob. You know it Jim.

But Gemmell and his physical therapy buddy Nina have already got something going, and Ed's debating whether to try and keep it going by visiting her in Australia between semesters. He asks Esther for advice.

In other plot developments, McGraw is abruptly freed of helping this bizarre man, Cliff, that he was suddenly friends with last month. But Daisy has unknowingly put herself in the same guy's employ at his Christmas tree ranch/farm/village. You know, one of those places in urban areas that are fenced off vacant lots and for three weeks you can go buy Christmas trees. Whatever you call those.

One thing that comes up with this book from time to time is this feeling that there are other books I need to be reading, but no one is telling me which ones. This thing with Cliff and McGraw felt like it parachuted in behind the lines at night and then morning comes and hey, where did this development come from? I think I know everything I really need to, but, you know how in Claremont's X-Men there would be certainly subplots that would get teased along in the background for years, and sometimes completely abandoned? This feels like the opposite, where the subplot has been progressing completely off-page and only now, at a climax point, has it actually made it into the book. It's an odd experience.

Sarin's art is at its usual high level. Esther looks a little more round in the face than I think she normally is. Which makes her look a bit more vulnerable. Appropriate considering she's decided to take a risk, only to have it fall apart before she got off the starting line. The body language Nina demonstrates during her post-sex chat with Ed was pretty impressive. She has a big personality, and so in a lot of panels its big smiles or laughs. But she's also bracing for rejection, so she shifts quickly to fiddling with her hair and avoiding eye contact. And even when she's being nervous, it's a big, obvious nervous. Wears her feelings on her sleeve (if she were wearing a shirt with sleeves during the conversation).