Guardians of the Galaxy 2: Angela, by Brian Michael Bendis, 168 pages

 Guardians of the Galaxy 2: Angela, by Brian Michael Bendis, 168 pages

In this second in the GOTG series, StarLord is still mad at his Dad, the Earth is in some serious danger, and there's been some kind of disruption in the space time continuum (and of course, stupid Earthlings are responsible).  There is also a new character- Angela, from a place called Heven.  This is the stuff I love about comic books- there's a thread of a really interesting philosophical concept in every one of the good ones.  What if you grew up in a place where everyone had wings and flew around, and there was a mythical "other place" called Earth, where the creatures walked around on the ground and did all kinds of interesting things? It's like if we found out Heaven was a real, physical place- it would kind of blow your mind, right?  Yeah.  So, there's that.  Also, Gamora gets some action, which is cool.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers, by Brian Michael Bendis

 Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers, by Brian Michael Bendis, 136 pages

I totally read this once before, but when I went to read volume 2, I couldn't remember where we left off.  And the movie's coming out, and I love some Chris Pratt, so- worth a revisit during lunch.  Anyway: Peter Quill is StarLord- but he has rejected his position as next in line to the throne.  Instead, he's teamed up with a ragtag group of toughies, including Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot.  And Iron Man, for some reason.  It's pretty good- there's potential here that I hope goes somewhere.  And Bendis is pretty much a go-to Marvel man, in general- anything he writes is usually good.

Mind MGMT #2: The Futurist, by Matt Kindt

 Mind MGMT #2: The Futurist, by Matt Kindt, 184 pages

As usual, Matt Kindt makes you think one thing is going on, when it turns out to be the opposite.  Who is Meru- what is her real story, and why doesn't Henry Lyme tell her?  Who else is on the Mind Management team, and what are the Immortals after- who are they working for?  The action continues in this second volume, and more secrets come to light.  Lots of travel and adventure, as usual.

Lock & Key #2: Head Games, by Joe Hill

Lock & Key #2: Head Games, by Joe Hill, 144 pages

Things are getting interesting at Key House, especially with Tyler's new friend "Zack."  Tiny bits of the back story are revealed, as is a new key with a kind of awesome and kind of terrifying purpose.  Fans of Stephen King might like this (and I don't say that because he's the author's father)- it's got the right amount of creepiness and horror mixed with a well-formed back-story.  I am really enjoying this series, but there is some violence and gore for those sensitive to that.

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

 Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, 96 pages

I never knew what this book was- my impression was that it was a sort of cheesey self-help book from the 90s... which is what it is.  Not-long-at-all-story short: change is okay- change can even be good- you have to go with it, though, instead of fighting it.  So much easier said than done.  But... especially relevant to my life right now- it wasn't unwelcome.

omg, I called it "cheesey" and I didn't even mean to make a pun lolololololololol

Mind MGMT, by Matt Kindt

 Mind MGMT, by Matt Kindt, 200 pages

Meru is a struggling writer, looking for material for her next book.  Not a very interesting story, right?  But then Meru stumbles across a super secret spy network made up of mind-manipulators and others with supernatural abilities, and finds out some secrets about her own past.

Matt Kindt is a local author, which is a good enough reason to check this out.  But he's also a great artist with a distinct style and I just LOVE the spy angle that he's very good at incorporating.  

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, by Joe Hill, ill Gabriel Rodriguez

 Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, by Joe Hill, ill Gabriel Rodriguez, 168 pages

This is the first volume of Joe Hill's horror series and it does not disappoint!  There's definitely some gore and adult situations, but also some general spookiness and well-crafted character development.  It is basically the story of a family devastated by a horrible murder and their relocation; but beyond that it is a story of evil, vengeance, guilt, and family.  This has alot of real potential, for horror fans out there.

Planet Hulk, by Greg Pak

 Planet Hulk, by Greg Pak, 416 pages
I think this was already pretty well summarized by the mighty moose, so I'll keep it short.  All of Earth's superheroes team up to send Hulk away from Earth so he can't do any more harm.  Then he lands on a planet where he is enslaved, incites a rebellion, and becomes king.  I mean, there's alot of action in between those occurrences, but that's the meat of the story.  I'm not really that interested in the Hulk, but this was interesting, and didn't require a whole lot of background knowledge.  But when you reach the end, you'll realize that now you have to read World War Hulk to get some closure.

Sunrise, by Mike Mullin

 Sunrise, by Mike Mullin, 466 pages

This is the third in the Ashfall trilogy- where a supervolcano turned the Midwest into a wasteland of ash and freezing cold.  Alex is growing up- he's taking control, starting a community, and trying to make some sense out of the madness.  Spoiler: I found this to be a really satisfying conclusion to the trilogy- there's no deus ex machina that saves everyone- they save themselves, and that's what I liked.

Superman: Red Son, by Mark Millar

  Superman: Red Son, by Mark Millar, 168 pages

This is a comic I first heard about through another JCLReads reviewer, and he was on point- this was an excellent comic- a unique and well-executed take on a classic.  If Superman crashed to Earth 12 hours later than he did, he would have landed in Communist Russia.  How would Superman, an iconic symbol of all things American, be different if he weren't American?  I can't even express how much I appreciated this adaptation of the Superman mythology- it was well-written, fully formed, and the art was excellent, too.  Definitely an easy one for someone unfamiliar with the Superman mythology to read as a stand-alone.

Hinterkind, by Ian Edginton, ill by Francesco Trifogli

  Hinterkind, by Ian Edginton, ill by Francesco Trifogli, 144 pages
Okay, so this was built up to me as the next "big thing" for comics, and it has potential.  In the post-apocalyptic Earth of the future, humans are an endangered species, and animals and fantastical creatures like trolls, goblins, fauns, etc, are at the top of the food chain.  So in classic comic tradition, one of the colonies of humans must set out on a quest, and adventure and danger abound.  It reads kind of like a Walking Dead meets Fables, for fans of those series.  I am not totally sold on it being the next big thing (my money's on Saga), but it's definitely a series to keep your eye on.

Goddamn This War, by Jacques Tardi

   Goddamn This War, by Jacques Tardi, 152 pages

This was a pretty powerful graphic novel about the despair and desolation inherent to war in general, but in this particular instance, the Great War (WWI).  There are no winners, just the maimed and the dead, in this bleak depiction by the great French graphic artist.  An interesting addition to the other material that will be undoubtedly released for the centennial of the war.

Geraldine the Music Mouse, by Leo Lionni

  Geraldine the Music Mouse, by Leo Lionni, 36 pages

Geraldine has never heard music, until she finds a block of cheese and as she nibbles it, the form of a mouse playing its tale becomes visible and then plays music at night.  Which... is... a thing, I guess...?  I don't know- kind of weak conceptually, but the art is on point, as usual.

Let's Make Rabbits, by Leo Lionni

   Let's Make Rabbits, by Leo Lionni, 30 pages

This one was really cute!! A combination of artistic styles- pencil and collage, to create two rabbits and their food.

Tillie and the Wall, by Leo Lionni

   Tillie and the Wall, by Leo Lionni, 32 pages

Tillie and the other mice have always lived with the wall- but she wonders what's on the other side.  She eventually tunnels under and finds that there are other mice, just like her, on the other side.  Not that interesting, but I guess at the time was a good enough parable about the Berlin Wall.  Classic collage style in this one.

The Biggest House in the World, by Leo Lionni

   The Biggest House in the World, by Leo Lionni, 32 pages
A snail dreams of having the biggest house in the world, but then he realizes he can't go anywhere.  This serves as a cautionary tale for another snail, who decides to keep a small house so he can travel light.  An interesting and minimalist concept for adults and children alike.  Awesome pencil artwork.

Little Blue and Little Yellow, by Leo Lionni

   Little Blue and Little Yellow, by Leo Lionni, 48 pages

I love the minimalist art of this children's picture book.  As with most Lionni books, the art is cool, the premise sounds interesting, and then the story kind of fizzles out without ever getting anywhere.  But blue and yellow make green.

We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver

 We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver, 400 pages

This was an absolutely brilliant work of fiction.  The subject matter is uncomfortable, the characters are all pretty reprehensible, but it is so totally honest and raw- it was kind of like reading a work of horror fiction.  Eva is writing letters explaining how her son, Kevin, committed a school-mass-murder, and events leading up to it.  It's a fascinating look into reluctant motherhood, among many other topics.  This was recommended as one of John Waters' favorite books, and as usual, he was right.

Jim Henson: a Biography, by Brian Jay Jones

 Jim Henson: the Biography, by Brian Jay Jones, 585 pages

This is a pretty thorough biography of Jim Henson, Muppet creator and all-around awesome artist.  I recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about the man, but I will say that I had the following issues with it:  1. There needed to be way more illustrations- you can't just describe a work of art- show it! 2. This book is solid hero-worship; Jim was obviously a lady's man who cheated on his wife, but anything even slightly unflattering is really just glossed over.  Alot of interesting information here, though.

Fran, by Jim Woodring

 Fran, by Jim Woodring, 120 pages
Jim Woodring's books are surreal, crazy, beautiful, weird, confusing, and awesome.  I can't even tell you what this was about because I do not know.  But it's an enjoyable trip to take.