Hey, isn't it July? Thor came out today. I love Thor but this really underwhelmed me. I'm surprised they didn't just have Peter Pan come in and have all the kids clap their hands. It can only get better ...

My triad of books that I can't live without has really changed this month:

Invincible is just getting too heavy-handed. Where it once felt clever, lighthearted, and the modern-silver-age that DC was trying to write but only half-accomplished, it just feels overwhelmed. There are simply too many characters, stories build up too long and finish too fast, and this book can't survive as a monthly. There are too many events, stories, characters, and small subplots that each issue just feels really broken and heavily disjointed. That and reading this comic, it's clearly written by a fanboy but one that apparantly likes to make his superhero his own personal wish fantasy, a feeling that bleeds into the story way too often. It's hard, but I have to let this book go.

Y: The Last Man: I didn't think it was possible, but I can't believe how this book can only get better and better. This latest issue break the fourth wall in a believable and natural way. It really hits home how much time has passed in real life and in the comic. There have been many adventures hinted at that we've never witnessed, and if we believe Brian K. Vaughan that issue #60 is the true finale, we will never find out. And it's appropriate that the characters do have a lot to catch up on, but don't even know where to begin...because they are probably just as confused, if not more, than us. This book has constantly been about misdirection, but never without warrant. You can always look back at earlier issues and find instances where even the slightest offhand comment makes a world of sense once revelations come flooding forth. And that's exactly what the two protagonists in this issue do: they reveal something profound to each other, and when they trace the small footsteps that led them here, it still makes perfect sense, and it's never forced. It's almost painful how both our heroes, and the audience, should have seen all of this coming. We were never going to get a full, complete, and clear explanation for all of this. But then we all realized that it was never about all that in the first place. It was about watching these characters grow and change, their laughter, misadventures, and their heart-wrenching battles they fought inside and out. And every moment, in real-time, we were there with them along the way.

The Walking Dead: The only way this book can get any better is if it loses its predictability. But the tension is still there. You can tell when something is about to rain firey hell and brimstone down upon our heroes when they seem to hit a streak of good luck - and when they start making plans for the future. Then it happens - the monkey wrench in the plans - and we wonder how they'll get out of yet another sticky situation. But this book doesn't kid around, and we know by now there will be casualties, and tragedies, and no one takes it very well. And the greatest success of this book is that after all this time, both the audience, and the characters therein, would like to think that we've gotten over it, that we're a little stronger from our past adventures, and we're ready for what's coming next. But neither of us ever are.

By the way, for those who get Action - the Donner story that has been delayed continues in this week's issue (and will be continued some more in Action Annual #11), and there are two versions out! One is 3D (with glasses so you can look all cool and stuff) and the other is non-3D. The 3D effect is nice, if you like red/blue glasses.

Was there a decision to not open a separate thread for July? Just wondering.

I'll get right on that...

Time warp? Laziness? Not enough activity in June?

Just wondering because it seems like I always post last in these threads, then a new one is started up and my last post is ignored... and I just got my monthly shipment in too...