christmas comes twice

today i pulled Nate Powell's swallow me whole out of the stack of graphic novels i got for christmas. swallow me whole observes a family in which three of it's members, a sister, her brother and their grandmother, are all being effected by some degree of mental illness. Powell moves from relatable to surreal easily, and presents a very unique dynamic between the two siblings and their understanding of their condition.
thanks jason! merry christmas!

stuff i paid for:

doktor sleepless 11
no hero 3
gravel 7
anna mercury 5
the sword 14
the walking dead 57
the boys 26
invincible iron man 9
cable 10
detective comics 852
the sandman: the dream hunters 3
superman/supergirl maelstrom 5
trinity 32
the haunted tank 2
solomon gundy faces of evil special
blue monday: thieves like us 1

the boys 26-REALLY liking the current arc, despite the darick roberston size whole in the art department. as much as i'm enjoy the current x-men line, few things please me more than busting their over-hyped balls.

speaking of... something cliche happens in cable 10, but i'm not holding it against them. it's still the best version of the character i've ever read, though the competition is slim. The x-men have become a nice supporting cast, fighting bishop as he wages war against cable in the distant future.

and though it isn't new this week, i need to rectify the fact that i haven't mentioned the awesomeness of madame xanadu before. for some reason i find myself forgetting about this book except for when it's in my hands, but have put down each issue feeling nothing but impressed. it's the most interesting script from wagner in a long time, coupled with an art team perfect for the early history of the character. i also never expected to read will-they-won't-they romantic tension involving the phantom stranger... the fucking phantom stranger! you've got good taste mr. woodrue.
have a good week everybody,
negative man