Books
Warrior of the Kizan, by Ann Margaret Lewis
Full disclosure: Ann was one of my roomies at Dragon Con this year. But I'm pretty sure I would've enjoyed this book anyway even if I hadn't met the author. Why? Because it "attacks" me personally on several levels. One: it's science fiction that deals explicitly with religious themes. (If you've been following me long enough, you know my Canticle for Leibowitz-loving butt lurves it when spiritual stuff gets sprinkled into my sci-fi/fantasy.) The aliens in Ann's world are descendants of the biblical Nephilim who were transported off-planet before the Flood. Said aliens are explicitly guided by an angel and therefore have a far more direct relationship with God -- a reality whose consequences Ann handles well. Two: one lead is a soldier with suggested PTSD. (Ahem. You have noticed that this blog has been taken over by my love for another character with PTSD, yes?) Three: another significant character is the son of the big bad and is consequently torn between his familial loyalties and his sense of right and wrong. (Conflicted characters are another of my hot buttons.) (And don't think I don't See What You Did There, Ann, in naming that character Saul.) Thanks to these features - and to that final chapter - I'm eager to see where the rest of the planned trilogy goes from here.
Comics (Sad/Unresolved Angst)
At this point, I've read every Iron Man comic published between 2004 and 2007 (which necessitated my reading Civil War and two other crossover events because Marvel's 21st century money-grabbing strategies are annoying AF). Would I personally recommend anything released in this era? I -- don't know. I have so. many. reservations re: how Tony is handled -- reservations I'm still trying to process and put into words. As of now, what I can do is tell you which issues/arcs elicited a powerful emotional response beyond paralyzing doubt:
Execute Program, Daniel Knauf, Charlie Knauf, et. al.
I talked about this arc briefly before I left for Dragon Con. Suffice it to say that any story that ends with Tony dramatically sacrificing himself generally gets Steph's Seal of Approval.
Civil War: Casualties of War: Captain America/Iron Man, Christos N. Gage, et. al.
Once again, I have so. many. reservations when it comes to Civil War as a whole. But this particular tie-in? This one gets me good and hard. As soon as they start weaving in - and then expanding - the sparring scene from "Demon in a Bottle," I dissolve into a puddle of tears. "You gave me a home." "I've got his back." "He would say the same." STOP I LITERALLY CAN'T.
Haunted, Daniel Knauf, Charles Knauf, et. al.
I screamed at the end of this Mandarin arc, so that counts for something. Also? Tony is slowly going crazy -- to the point that he's hallucinating dead people and living in his armor 24/7. If that sort of angst is your cuppa the way it is mine, this one's for you.
Comics (Happy/Humorous/Resolved Angst)
While reading all of the above, I often had to take breaks to consume lighter fare. The following are my discoveries in this realm:
Marvel Adventures: The Avengers, by Jeff Parker, Manuel Garcia
Marvel Adventures: Iron Man, by Fred Van Lente, James Cordeiro
Captain America: The Fighting Avenger, by Brian Clevinger, et. al.
These are all years-old children's comics, and they are absolutely precious. Indeed, words are inadequate to express exactly how adorable they are. I cannot. stop. smiling just thinking of them. If only the grown-up comics were written with the same sense of fun!
Captain America/Iron Man Annual 1998
The story in this revolves around a serious, substantive dispute between the titular characters, but it belongs in the happy column because Tony and Steve eventually find a way to make peace with each other and get shit done.
Avengers: Prime, by Brian Michael Bendis, Alan Davis
Yes, I know, Bendis. I'm sorry, but I can't help but laugh out loud when Tony decides to cope with being stripped naked by joking that he's come up with a new, high-tech see-through armor. And, like the '98 annual, this mini-series is also good for your Tony-and-Steve-fight-like-cats-and-dogs-but-ultimately-work-it-out needs.
Avengers: Millennium, by Mike Costa, et. al.
This is an "infinite comic" available on Comixology featuring a decent time travel adventure and a blessedly functional Avengers team. If you're sick of the Avengers' constant warring with each other in recent comics, this might be a good miniseries in which to set up camp.
And lastly, before I close for the night, have another YouTube video:
-- (If you've been following me long enough, you know my Canticle for Leibowitz-loving butt lurves it when spiritual stuff gets sprinkled into my sci-fi/fantasy.) --
ReplyDeleteThen you might like these. Or perhaps these.