Let's Talk About Doctor Who

David J. Anderson, one of my favorite readers, asked me a while ago about my take on Steven Moffat's run thus far on Doctor Who (particularly the season that just wrapped).....

WARNING: Even though they are minor and don't take very much away from the viewing experience, there are small Day of the Doctor spoilers in this piece. Just telling you. Don't say I didn't warn you. Okay. Here we go.

The thing about Doctor Who is that it's, at its best, what I like to refer to as "pure sci-fi" that exists in a sandbox so wide, the possibilities are hard to exhaust. I mean, let's face it...."all of space and time" is a pretty big playground for a writer/showrunner. Eventually, a series like that stops being a series and starts becoming a tradition, hallowed ground almost, a family business passed down from one generation to the next in the hopes that they'll continue in the practices that have allowed that legacy to thrive in the midst of changing time. Who is a bit weird in that regard because, for years, it's been a very niche kind of sci-fi geared toward a very hardcore sort of geek whose reverence for the show has fueled its success for 50 YEARS. There haven't been a lot of shows in ANY genre that can lay claim to such a thing....certainly not in its primary genre. Though the series itself was short-lived, Firefly has one of the most rabid fanbases I've ever seen and even that's fizzled out a bit. A fellow blogger referred to Doctor Who as the Flintstones of science fiction. To make such a comparison is to underestimate Doctor Who and to vastly overestimate the Flintstones. A cartoon like the Flintstones appealed to a much wider audience that eventually got tired of it until it was replaced by The Simpsons which has been pretty much replaced by Family Guy (hot wife married to lovable dummy).

Who dwarfs these shows with almost no effort because of a simple fact that Steven Moffat understands better than people think. Doctor Who is the type of show that is, on a good day, any genre you want it to be. It can be (and has been) a romance saga, a revenge tale, a period drama, a swashbuckler story, etc. When your main character is a lonely guy who can go anywhere and do anything within the whole of everything that is or ever was, there really isn't any scenario that's too farfetched. Grant Morrison could very well be hired to write a Doctor Who crossover with Batman or Vince Gilligan could team him up with Walter White and either of those would, ideally, be within the confines of good reason. I mean, can you think of a story in which "Time Traveling Sherlock Holmes" (because that's basically what the Doctor is) doesn't work?

With that said, Moffat understands the necessity of doing something with a 50 year old series to not only keep it fresh, but to widen its audience. And Steven Moffat has certainly widened the audience in a way that I, for one, have never seen out of this series in my time. I can't remember a single time before Moffat where I'd seen billboards, ads in comic books and on the sides of buses, toy commercials, worldwide simulcasting of its big anniversary special (which was absolutely lovely, by the way...Smith, Tennant and Hurt all had ridiculously great chemistry together...the result was more of a game changer than people think...and I didn't completely despise Not-Actually-Rose Tyler's appearance even though I completely despise Rose Tyler). I mean, Sweet Lord, Day of the Doctor even had a simulcasted post-show where people sit around talking about what they just saw a la The Walking Dead, a phenomenon I will NEVER understand if I live to be 100.

Honestly, I think the overall direction of the show and the kind of legend Moffat drives to remind us the Doctor is ("You decided the universe would be better off without you, but the universe didn't agree.") is actually reflective of the pop culture phenomenon Doctor Who has become. The reverence for his very name that oozes from the majority of characters' pores (even River Song...which is what became the problem with River Song) in most Moffat episodes isn't terribly different from the chill of excitement that comes over the growing fanbase at the first note of the theme song. I was at work and someone's phone rang, playing the Tennant era version and most of my coworkers grinned to themselves at the familiarity.

The other thing that I think some people don't quite see in Moffat's "Who" is that he's trying to keep it fresh by doing things that are haven't been done before (or at least in a while) with the stories. He likes making "that unsuspecting thing everyone has" into a dormant alien invasion like in The Bells of St. John, he has a thing for eerie sayings throughout the episode ("I don't know where I am"...."Can you help me?"...."Silence will fall") and he loves, loves, LOVES making the Companion and other supporting characters as important if not more important than the Doctor himself (Amy Pond, River Song, and certainly Clara). Last but not least, he recognizes that anything good, if it goes on long enough, starts basically being fan service. Moffat certainly demonstrates this in the 50th Anniversary with the callbacks (Tom Baker..."I don't want to go"...."timey wimey").

Overall, even though I will always hold a very special place in my heart for Russell T. Davies....mainly because his run gave us Martha Jones....I think Moffat is doing a fine job carrying the burden he's been given of being a geek messiah and a geek antichrist all at once. And who's to say it won't undergo another massive change in status quo as time goes on? After all, as I mentioned, the great thing about Doctor Who is that no matter what level of geek you are or how science fiction-y you like your science fiction, it always stands a very good chance of being exactly the sort of story you like. And in addition to being a huge part of what makes the Doctor such a compelling character (no matter who's playing him), it's also what's made for 50 years of television worth watching.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 33 or I'd Rather Be Trapped Underwater With Evil Mermaids Than Kris Jenner

Harley Quinn #0: Harley Quinn has enjoyed a reasonable amount of time in the spotlight since the "New 52" reboot even if the titles she's featured in have had somewhat mixed reviews. It was only a matter of time before DC took a crack at a solo title. This was a tough book to review because, honestly, at first read, you're not entirely sure what kind of book it's supposed to be. Commonly a zero issue for any book serves as either a prequel for the first story arc or one shot primer to give you a taste of what to expect from a series as far as tone and art. Jimmy Palmotti and Amanda Conner take a slightly different tact.

By "slightly different tact", I mean, they seemed to make the Clown Princess of Crime....into Deadpool. For the most part Harley spends most of her time breaking the fourth wall interacting with the writers in a daydream about what it would be like to have her own comic book. She travels from one page to the next auditioning a Who's Who of artists to see whose style would best suit her. I found a few of the jokes funny but mainly because I'm familiar with most of the artists. The overabundance of inside jokes doesn't make this terribly accessible for incoming readers and the uninitiated. Despite this, it still makes for a mainly entertaining farce.

The artwork, given that it's a pretty star studded cast working on each page is pretty "alphabet soup" but mostly awesome. My particular favorites are Dan Panosian and Charlie Adlard. I was really looking forward to Jim Lee's page but that ended up being a bit of a bubble burst since he just rehashed a page from Hush. Also included is a page from fan contest winner Jeremy Roberts. Although "Draw Harley Quinn killing herself" contest was easily one of DC's dumbest ideas all year, Roberts can draw his ass off. I'd be very excited to see him on this book on a regular basis. Still, Chad Hardin, who illustrates the final page, does a pretty good job of capturing Harley's brand of crazy and I'll be looking forward to seeing what he has to offer.

Bottom Line: Not much plot but it's still fun and well rendered enough that it's a fun little primer for the series. 7.5 out of 10.



The Wake #5: Well, we've reached the halfway mark of what could quite possibly be the "holy shit" survival horror series of the year and it has been quite a story thus far. Quiet as kept, this has been one of the most consistently entertaining and good looking books in the business right now. Scott Snyder's taut tale of Dr. Lee Archer's crew and their fight to survive evil mermaid creatures at the bottom of the ocean has been an utterly compelling thrill ride that EVERYONE should be reading. Having said that, with this issue, Snyder wants you to know that the story begins now. Did you hear what I just said? A claustrophobic, horrifying tale about evil mermaids in the darkest parts of the sea....and Snyder is just getting started?

This issue deals largely with the revelation of what these monsters are, what they want and Dr. Archer's connection to them. The action beats are really well thought out and make for pretty good adventuring, but Snyder is at his best, as usual, during the claustrophobic moments when you feel trapped in dark corners with these poor bastards down below. It's almost as scary as being Kris and Bruce Jenner being trapped with each other's ever changing faces, not knowing what they're going to wake up to the next morning. Almost. Of course, Snyder can't take all the credit for the creepiest part of this book. There's also Sean Murphy's pencils, which capture some utterly maudlin moments like one character alone in the darkness with nothing but the light from a video screen.

Bottom Line: If you're not reading this book already, start. Start now. Immediately. Stop reading this blog, turn off the television, get dressed, tell your girlfriend you'll be right back and go get the past five issues of The Wake. Do it. Do it now. It's your homework assignment. It's your one job right now. Seriously. 9.5 out of 10.

Graduation Speech at the Xavier School for the Gifted.....

Congratulations, Class of 2013. Your being here this morning marks a momentous occasion. You have all not only learned a unique mastery over your gifts, but you've also demonstrated a willingness to harness those gifts in the interest of bettering society once you venture out into the world instead of being a complete tool like SOMEONE who will not be named...**cough** Erik **cough**. Anyway, your walk across this stage means that I have nothing left to teach you.

It also means you didn't die. Because, whew....could THAT have ever happened? I mean, giant robot death machines? I was trying not to freak anybody out but HOOOOOLLLLLYYYY SHIT we almost died fighting those things! And the Legacy Virus? Fuck, man.....talk about "not enough Thera-Flu in the world," huh?

Little joke there....really?...nothing? Okay, okay, too soon.

Moving on. We here at the Xavier Institute are 100% confident that we have thoroughly prepared you for the challenges you'll face out there in the real world. And make no mistakes, my fellow mutants, there WILL certainly be challenges. Like bigots who will hate you before ever actually meeting you because of your differences. And the future. Seriously, guys, the future will try to kill you. A lot. All the time. But persevere, hold your head high in the face of adversity and don't EVER give the future your credit card number. Trust me on that one. Oh my God, if I ever get my hands on that little...ahem...sorry. Got a little carried away there.

In closing, the Institute is honored to have been a part of your education and, ultimately, your lives. The bonds you've built, the fears you've conquered, the lessons you've learned....carry them with you always. Hold them close to your heart. Time flies quickly and you'll miss these days when they're gone. And remember: Humans good. We like humans. No vaporizing. Maybe a little mind wipe here and there, but no vaporizing. Please don't turn into a mutant overlord despot. Please. I can't stress that enough. I can't deal with more interviews with Fox News like last time. Honestly, that Sean Hannity guy. I don't see how he sleeps at night. Bottom line: No evil mutant shit.

My friends, my students, my fellow children of the atom....it is my honor, my privilege, my pleasure to welcome you to the first day of the rest of your lives. Also, the beginning of paying off your student loans. Because the government doesn't pay for this shit. Bear in mind, rocketships under the basketball court don't grow on trees.

Now, who wants a diploma!!!

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 32 or I Wonder If Alfred Got in On Obamacare....

Why do they look like contestants on
that old arcade game Smash TV?

All New X-Men #18: One of the prevailing subplots of Avengers Vs. X-Men was that the Avengers hadn't been around much while the mutant community was going through pretty dire straits facing extinction. Cyclops told Captain America that he always felt the X-Men were treated as the Avengers' redheaded stepchildren. It sort of seems like this is how Marvel treats them as well. I mean, let's face it....the X-Universe hasn't had a good crossover event since A vs. X and even that was touch and go for a minute there. Marvel doesn't know how to create constructive conflict between heroes without making one party into the one dimensional douchebag villain like the Tony Stark in Civil War. Hell, do what Toronto Mayor Rob Ford does and blame the media and the police. It would shake things up, at least. Battle of the Atom was decent but also underwhelming and anti-climatic in its own way, basically summing up what we already knew: There will always be humans who make life suck for mutants and it's going to make some mutants into bitter old mutants one day.

Fortunately, it gave us some decent fallout consequences. Brian Michael Bendis picks up the pieces left behind from all of the event's time travel shenanigans in the latest installment of All New X-Men. The issue deals mainly with Kitty Pryde and the "Original" team's transition in going to live at the New Xavier School with Cyclops and the Asshole Squad. Bendis does very well handling "in between" issues like this where some characters are put in a room with someone they wouldn't normally interact with under normal circumstances. Kitty and Magik's reunion is hilarious and somewhat touching if you know the history both characters share. Young Jean Grey's scene with the Stepford Cuckoos is priceless. Bendis has made the Once and Future Phoenix an interesting character again which is a feat I didn't think would ever be possible. Most writers had a tendency to deal with Jean in a very "time bomb" fashion which is cool but predictable. You know it's coming so it loses its "Holy Shit" factor. Bendis takes time to deal with her aggravation as a person and how that can spill over into her life as a blossoming mutant hero who keeps being told that she's headed for great and terrifying things.

Stuart Immonen's artwork is a welcome mainstay to the book's status quo. His love for expressing shift in tone through simple changes in shading is in rare form during a couple of pages of an exchange between Magneto and Young Beast. I also personally like how he draws Cyclops as opposed to the artsy version we've been getting in Uncanny X-Men where he looks less heroic and more like a slim Seth Rogen.

Bottom Line: A good book following up another lackluster X-event. 8 out of 10



Batman #25: It's hard to deny Scott Snyder has been winning with Zero Year, a "New 52" look at the beginning of the Caped Crusader. We're seeing a swashbuckler side of Batman we don't get to see very often that almost literally laughs in the face of danger, tells villain's they're and flies by the seat of his pants at moments. I would never have expected to hear Batman tell a bad guy he's "so full of shit." This issue mainly takes place during the aftermath of a massive blackout compliments of the Riddler.

However this installment in particular doesn't deal much with Edward Nygma. The central villain this time out is the (let me emphasize this) FUCKING CREEPY Dr. Death, whose horror themed killing spree is every bit as unsettling as his...well...face. Seriously, these are a couple of the eeriest looking crime scenes I've seen in a Batman book in some time. Snyder handles the detective stuff well without getting bogged down in it and also keeping the more action oriented readers engaged. After all.... Sherlock Holmes + swashbuckling = Batman. This series has been really good for tender moments between Bruce and Alfred. While Batman is having the time of his life trying out new gadgets and dodging the cops with ease, you can visibly see instances when Alfred is thinking "Goddamnit, what did I sign up for?"

The hues implemented in the artwork are simply amazing. It's nice to see a Batman book that can maintain a dark vibe while still not being afraid of splashing some color in here and there. Greg Capullo has a flair for the macabre and loves making his reader a little uncomfortable as is evident in Dr. Death's full reveal at the end. Also, his Batmobile design brings a wonderfully old school adventure feel to the beginning of the issue that made me laugh of sort delightful laugh that makes people think something might really be wrong with you in public.

Bottom Line: Scott Snyder can't lose. He's got Batman down almost to a science. 9 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 31 or Superman Shouldn't Be Stealing Supergirl's Poses

Superman/Batman #5: If this weren't a DC Comics "New 52" title, I'd actually be able to feign shock at the fact that this book went from "good" to "sucks" in the time it takes (enter obligatory Rob Ford crack binge joke here). Greg Pak and Jae Lee opened this story up so strong with a story arc that had everything from body snatching trickster demons and time travel to magic world-ending crystals and Lois Lane firing sidewinder missiles at Wonder Woman. Granted, it got a little convoluted for a minute, but it was mostly a strong story. Now, Pak has teamed up with Brett Booth for a whole new storyline that....well...umm...just

isn't up to par.

The second thing you notice (I'll get to the first thing later) is that this story picks up where the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel have now been working together for 5 or 6 years which is odd considering the book just wrapped up a story revolving around them meeting for the first time. It's off-putting and makes the whole thing feels rushed in an effort to get the timeline up to speed with the rest of "New 52" continuity. The duo encounters Hiro Nakamura (Toyman...except renamed Toymaster) in the midst of an "evil video game" caper. I'm not kidding. This issue is about an evil video game. Let that sink in. Now, that its sunk in, amazingly enough, THAT'S not the biggest issue with this book.

One of the main attractions of this series has always been the internal narrative that depicts how Superman and Batman respond to one another's crimefighting methods and logic. That's still here in this incarnation except the banter between them feels like bickering teenagers. If there'd been no action beats throughout the issue, it would have read like an episode of Pretty Little Liars. Superman actually admitted he was "trolling" Batman. Look, I understand that DC's been trying to make a more modern Clark Kent by making him a mild-mannered blogger who dresses slightly hipsterish, but Superman, the moral standard for all other heroes, should not be saying shit like "trolling." He's not supposed to completely feel like one of us when he's in the uniform. He's supposed to be the guy that people strive to be like. I shouldn't open a comic with Superman in it and feel like I'm going to see him texting Wonder Woman with an "LMAO."

As for the art, it could be that I'm still on a Jae Lee high from the last issue, but Brett Booth's renderings of people seemed unsteady and awkward. There was a eyesore of a panel where Superman, while flying, seemed to be posing as if he were laying on the beach auditioning to be America's Next Top Model. Just because Rob Liefeld is still getting work does NOT mean we're supposed to be emulating him. The next time you see Brett Booth on the street, take this issue and rub his nose in it like you're paper training your german shepherd.

Oh, and the way the cover is depicted above? That isn't a mistake. That is the very first thing you notice that's wrong with this book. You have to turn the entire thing sideways because it's done in "widescreen" format. I don't understand how this was supposed to enhance the experience....but it didn't. This is a fundamental example of DC getting something wrong just for shits and giggles. This is also why regular books (which have been around for centuries) are not turned on the sides to read. It's not fun, it's not convenient. It's a pain in the ass. It's just another drop in the bucket of annoying things about this book. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Bottom Line: If you really want to get your Christmas shopping out of the way right now and you don't feel like buying anymore Snuggies for your in-laws....here's your stocking stuffer. 4 out of 10.


Amazing X-Men #1: Okay, we're officially getting to the point where there are too many goddamned X-Men titles running again. Every few years, some event or another is used as an opportunity to streamline the X-universe to a couple of strong titles that intertwine here and there. Then, three months later, X-Men books start coming out of the pipeline like running water until you go to the comic shop each week, saying...."Wait, there's another one? How long has that one been out?" If the X-Men were real employees of Marvel, Cyclops and Wolverine would be locked underneath the building hand sewing Avengers beanies for 75 cents an hour. However, this book show some promise. It seems to have the right things going for it: Jason Aaron, Ed McGuiness and the return of Nightcrawler. That was enough to get me interested.

The story starts out focusing on Nightcrawler's life after death, pining away for the good old days even in Heaven (the little we see of it looks gorgeous, by the way). Meanwhile, back at the Jean Grey school, Aaron sweeps the cobwebs off of Firestar, whose starting her first day as an instructor. There's not much different in the format in this book and that of Wolverine and the X-Men. There's a big focus on the hilarious dysfunction of the mutant school whose security system spins a little more out of Beast's control everyday, it seems. The lighthearted yet fantastic aspect really seems to work well for Aaron. The character interactions are hilarious while, at times, a little unsettling. I'll never quite get used to the thought of Wolverine and Storm flirting. My flesh crawled a little bit just writing that last sentence. Firestar, however, seems a little out of place for this team, but I'm willing to go along with it for now. Nightcrawler, on the other hand, is as fun to read as ever and the character seems to be having as much fun adventuring as the reader does watching it play out.

Ed McGuiness' art does a great job of capitalizing on Aaron's exaggerated, silly style. There's an attention to detail on every panel that's so gorgeous, it makes me think that McGuinness might be a robot (Robot Ed McGuiness might have made Prometheus watchable). The two best looking moments come when 1). Nightcrawler gets his swashbuckling, pirate fighting groove back and 2). when Beast swears deadly vengeance on the little "bamf" creatures that have relieved him of his beloved coffee-maker.

Bottom Line: It's funny, it's smart and GODDAMN, it looks great. I'm in. Oh...and thanks for bringing Nightcrawler back. Shit was getting somber for a minute there. 8 out of 10

A Brief, Random Meditation on Clones....

The other day, I found myself with a huge workload on my plate at the day job that made me wish I had the ability to produce clones. I recalled how I'd heard many people wish there were more of them so they could be in several places at once. I mean, Hollywood kind of romanticizes the idea of clones/doubles, but every now and then, even THAT gets creepy. I mean, we all saw the Prestige. If clones didn't end well for Wolverine, they probably won't end well for anyone else.



Does anyone really want another "you" hanging around? Think about yourself for a second. I mean, really take a look in the proverbial mirror. You like yourself. In fact, you LOVE yourself and that's a good thing. We should all love ourselves. But because of this fact, we note and overlook our flaws. After all, "it's ME and I can live with me." Yes, you can. Until you actually have to live with you. Having said all that, the more I think about it, I really don't see how I or, ultimately, the world would benefit from making anymore of me. I can see it now.

Clone: Hey.

Me: Hey.

Clone: You read the blog today?

Me: It so happens I did slightly better than reading my blog. I, in fact, wrote my blog.

Clone: Yeah, about that....refresh the page.

Me: All right...wait...what is this?

Clone: I rewrote it a little.

Me: Why?

Clone: Well, first I had some ideas for a better joke in the second paragraph. Then, the only way the joke was going to make sense was if I changed the first paragraph. Then, I thought of a whole different....

Me: In other words, you rewrote it a lot.

Clone: That's one way to look at it.

Me: As opposed to....?

Clone: Since I'm you...maybe it's turns out you're a lot funnier than you thought you were.

Me: And a little more a dick than I thought I was, too.

Clone: See? Self-discovery! Silver lining.

Me: How did you even log in to my account?

Clone: Well, I know the password....

Me: ....because you're me. I get it. You don't have to do the "Because I'm Batman" face, you smug fuck.


The other primary problem with me having a clone would, in all likelihood, be our inevitable butting of heads over my private life.

Clone: So I've been thinking.

Me: About?

Clone: About what it would take to pull off a convincing "you."

Me: Okay....?

Clone: I think I have what it takes.

Me: I can't imagine why.

Clone: I'm just saying...I've been reading about method acting and really becoming a character.

Me: If I'd bought you in a store, I swear to God I'd be checking the receipt.

Clone: What?

Me: You don't have to get into being me. You ARE me.

Clone: No, hear me out. If I were to, for example, maybe spend an evening interacting with someone you know....

Me: Oh, for fuck's sake....dude, we talked about this.

Clone: What?

Me: You want to be alone with my girlfriend.

Clone: Did I say that? I never said that.

Me: You've been pulling this shit all week.

Clone: That's not true.

Me: Last night....

Clone: ....was taken completely out of context. I made an honest mistake. I thought someone left the shower running and I just went to turn it off.

Me: WHO LEAVES THE SHOWER RUNNING FOR NO REASON???

Clone: Well...okay, I don't have a counter for that.

Me: I'm going to punch you in the face now.

Clone: You know, the argument could be made that this makes you kind of insecure.

Me: Is that right?

Clone: Think about it. You're worried about you stealing your own girlfriend.

Me: I'm not worried. Creeped out a little? Maybe.

Clone: I think you might have some unresolved issues we could....OW! OW! STOP HITTING YOURSELF, GODDAMMIT!!!!

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 30 or I Secretly Judge People Who Don't Read Saga....

Damian, Son of Batman #1: Just because a character is dead...and I mean dead as disco...doesn't mean DC can't and won't still make money off of them. After all, if something's related to Batman, Dan Didio will gladly put on a Super Mario costume and step on its head until coins spring forth from its flattened carcass. Therefore, it's only logical that we wouldn't have to wait long to get what is basically a "What If?" miniseries about what Bruce Wayne's problem child could have been. However, as a huge fan of this particular boy wonder, I was happy to give this one a shot.

What's curious is that Andy Kubert's series seems to overlook or forget a lot of what Grant Morrison offered us as far as Damian Wayne's development over the years. We don't get the Damian that went out in a blaze of glory against his mother's Leviathan syndicate in Batman Inc. We don't even get the (kinda) endearing scamp that antagonized Dick Grayson Batman in the early runs of Batman and Robin. Make no mistake this is a late teen version of the murderous douchebag kid we first met in Morrison's "Batman and Son." However, considering Kubert had been developing this years ago, it's not unforgivable that there would be some chronological inconsistencies. In the wake of Batman's death (which measured up to be less than a footnote), Damian starts down a path to avenge the caped crusader which is hinted to be his first step in assuming the mantle himself. But it's unclear whether this is the road to the version of Damian we saw in Batman #666....which is maybe the scariest Batman of all fucking time. Much of the narration is given via his electronic journal which, though understandable for a character attempting to follow in his father's detective footsteps, seems out of place since he does a lot of emoting. While I love watching a vengeful Robin going on a beserker tear through the Gotham underworld, I did find it difficult to connect to Damian. I mean, it's one thing for a little kid Robin to go around murdering and mouthing off to grownups when you know he becomes less of a dick in later issues, but being the same jackass he was then makes this guy sort of unlikeable.

Kubert's artwork, however, offers something to look forward to here, though. Despite Batman's pre-New 52 costume design (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), his sometimes overwhelming, seedy environments are just lovely. Some readers might miss the creepier, occult-ish touch from the pages of Batman Inc., but the character depictions are mainly compelling to look at.

Bottom Line: If you need a break from New 52 continuity and like watching Damian Wayne beat the shit out of bad guys for a bit, this might be worth a look. Not quite epic, but an okay read. 7 out of 10.

Saga #15: When you're a reviewer, there's actually such a thing as a comic book being "too good." I haven't reviewed Saga in a while because, honestly, it's a lot like being a weatherman in Houston during the summer. "Today's Forecast: It's still hot. See you guys in November." It's still going strong. It's still the best book in comics right now. Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples still don't hesitate to push the envelope. It'd be hard to argue that the sheer effort and love that obviously goes into every page of this book, makes it, by leaps and bounds, the Game of Thrones of comics right now. If your book isn't this good, you probably shouldn't be doing it. I have a coworker who....I shit you not....bought copies of the first graphic novel volume and just randomly handed them out to his friends to get them started on the series. Some are comic book readers and some of them are not. They are ALL now hooked. That's what a good comic does.

This issue sees our outlaw lovers, Marko and Alana, giving some serious thought to their future and that of their baby, Hazel. We get some more juicy insight into Alana's Meanwhile, The Will finally makes a decision about what he's going to do with himself in the wake of a profound personal loss while yet again suffering a case of "wrong place/planet/solar system/galaxy, wrong time." One of the things that makes this series so profoundly compelling is the perfect medium it finds between dazzling sci-fi lore and relateable plotting. Sure, there are elements of alien culture and sword/sorcery and ogres with disturbingly large nether parts, but you have characters that you feel as though you've met before. You've known a woman like Alana who, while being fierce in her resolve to protect her baby, is NOT the person you would have thought would be a mother one day. Most people have had a friend like Marko, who just wants to be a good boyfriend/husband, but sometimes you get the sneaking suspicion his girlfriend/wife might be crazy. I've had eccentric, unconventional yet brilliant teachers like Oswald. And we've all known comfortably fanatical, self righteous douchebags like the TV Robot Head people Prince Robot and Countess Robot X. I've dated several. You know these people enough that you almost yell out "Oh, come on, man!" and "Lady's got a point, dude" as you're reading.

Fiona Staples artwork is so consistently incredible, it's almost aggravating to not have anything bad to say at all about it.  Her characters' movements always look like they have actual personality and purpose, rarely just posing for the panel's sake. The settings seem alive at all times as opposed to just serving as backdrops. She knows exactly where her characters are in the scenes at all times. It's awe inspiring to gaze upon the work of an artist whose process is clearly a well oiled machine of a creative process.

Bottom Line: Beautiful drawn, nuanced characters that....Wait, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? ARE YOU STILL WAITING ON ME TO SAY THIS BOOK IS GOOD?! HURRY UP AND BUY THIS SHIT!!! 9.5 OUT OF 10.