Blog

In which I briefly comment on the books I read each month, so a few years from now when I’m trying to remember one of them, I’ll be able to find it here. Since I’m a media omnivore, it also includes games, movies, and any other media of note that I engaged with.

Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let’s find out!

Books

Reinventing Comics: The Evolution of an Art Form by Scott McCloud

McCloud’s Understanding Comics is an all-time classic, which I first read in 2003, and it helped supercharge my adult return to comics — both reading and eventually writing about them. I’d never gotten around to reading this follow-up until now, though. I was aware of the criticism back then that it wasn’t as strong as UC, and that many people thought it was already dated on arrival, so I was very curious how it would hold up 25 years later. It’s actually a pretty compelling read, building on UC‘s foundation to explore comics’ potential to tell a wider range of stories for a wider range of readers. Unfortunately, he stumbles in the final chapter, awkwardly speculating about different technology-driven disruptions that do little to build on opportunities he establishes in the earlier chapters. Despite that, it’s still worth a read for all of the things McCloud does get right.

Witch Hat Atelier 12 & 13 by Kamome Shirahama

I’ve been reluctant to jump into any ongoing manga series, having no idea how many volumes it might ultimately be, so catching up to Witch Hat Atelier‘s latest volumes feels weird, because now I have to wait unknown months for the next one! Fortunately, Shirahama continues to flesh out the world and juggle an ever-larger cast without ever overshadowing her main character’s journey. Volumes 12 & 13 center a big set piece, while still featuring steady character development and delivering some great moments that were set up in previous volumes, moving the larger story forward on different levels. Equally important, her artwork continues to be amazing!

Games

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (Steam)

I think it’s time to admit to myself that painting miniatures isn’t the primary thing that defines a Warhammer 40k fan, because I’m so deep into it in other media — including my second playthrough of this game, closing in on another 100 hours already — it’s offical: I really dig the grimdark future! Surprisingly, my initial in-progress “review” of my first playthrough still gets steady search traffic, so I’m going to have to write a follow-up because there are a lot of notable differences between the main characters I chose each time, my primary retinues, and the additions from the newest DLC. Over the years, this kind of immersion often led to satellite blogs, but I’m not doing that anymore, so if you’re reading this via email or RSS, apologies in advance if you see a few dedicated WH40k posts in the future.

Movies & TV

Eddington (Streaming)

I was intrigued for the first third of the movie as Aster and Phoenix uncomfortably attempt to humanize the latter’s character while awkwardly satirizing aspects of COVID’s initial impact in the US, but it all falls apart in the ridiculously over-the-top final act that chooses spectacle over nuance. I’m not mad I watched it, but I don’t know that I’d recommend it to anyone, either.

NY Mets (SNY & Audacy)

A rough summer ends with a huge sweep of the Phillies and two promising rookie pitchers having a major impact — and then losing 3-of-4 to the $^$#*! Marlins?!? A wild card spot is still theirs for the taking, but how far can you expect to go when your pitching staff is relying on two kids with only four major league starts between them to carry the team? Baseball is definitely the cruelest sport, because there’s 162 opportunities for your team to disappoint you every year.

Your Notes?

If you’ve engaged with any of these, let me know what you thought. And if you have any related recommendations, drop ’em in the comments or on the socials! Some of you prefer email, which is cool, too. You do you!