Books of 2023: Quarter 3

 

 

 Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Waking to find her friend dead from a drug overdose while everyone else in the apartment was brutally murdered, the future does not look bright for Galaxy "Alex" Stern. To the surprise of the high school dropout and small-time drug dealer, rather than being released back onto the street with no where to go, she's instead offered admission into Yale University - for a price. On campus, Stern will find not only a grueling class schedule and new classmates to attempt to fit in with, but also a world of real magic and ritual performed by the school's eight secret societies - The Houses of the Veil. And the price of Stern's admission - to use her gift (or curse) to see and interact with ghosts as well as the training and tools provided by Lethe House to monitor the activities of these societies and ensure the safety of not only the school and its student body but also the town around campus as well. Though when her mentor mysteriously vanishes and a seemingly unrelated and mundane murder occurs off-campus, it'll be up to Stern to decide just how far she wants to pursue her hunch and keep those at the top in line.

Finally getting into some new urban fantasy (looking through some of my past reading, it has definitely been a while). And, I guess since the story takes place in our world (mostly Yale Campus and the surrounding area) it also qualifies as Wainscotting fantasy, aka fantasy hidden just below the surface of our world. Like a lot of books I've read recently or will be reading in the future, I probably found this one on some "Top __ list of __ books" and placed it onto my own "To Read" book list. Then, with a slightly-shortened version of said list, I walked around a new bookstore (getting my bearings) and picked out several on my list. Besides being an urban fantasy book, what also interested me about this book is that though it isn't about a school that teaches magic, it is a real school which happens to have a secret, underground magical society which our main character is thrust into, and not for the sake of learning magic but monitoring those societies so their practices don't harm the outside (normal) world.

If your fantasy reading was shaped heavily during the hey-day of "Harry Potter" as mine was, then you're also a sucker for Magic School Fantasy. Probably at the time, it was all about the magic, where I fantasized about being enrolled at a school of magic compared to sitting in my regular classes. As I'm older ... it's still about the magic but also about living life as these younger characters (ugh, I'm getting old). In Ninth House, the school Alex Stern attends is a real world school, Yale University, which, no, is not a school which teaches magic (though, really how would I know for sure). Setting itself on a university campus already sets the story about from a lot of other Magic School Fantasy as it ages the characters up from the typical teenagers you'd see in this kind of story - providing a different type of character and different kinds of problems. The magic, in this case, isn't in full view of the regular public or even the rest of the students on campus but instead is only practiced by a select group of students in a more "underground" scene. Obviously, this changes some of the traditional elements of a typical Magic School Fantasy but it does add some other features. With magic being hidden comes the need for secrecy from everyone involved, making the magic (and everything associated) obviously more subtle - no outlandish displays and revealing magic to anyone not associated is strictly forbidden. It also provides a limit to not only what Alex is able to do, but also the antagonists as well, which helps to increase the mystery as neither side can simply reveal themselves and draw the other into combat. Unlike traditional Magic School Fantasy, Alex isn't there to learn magic but to help keep it contained and prevent the Ivy League elites from using their abilities and knowledge for nefarious purposes. So, if you enjoy Magic School Fantasy but are looking for something a little older, a little different, this might just be what you're looking for.

One aspect of the story where I think Bardugo truly shines compared to other writers is in the framing of the story as well as the overall structure (I'm sure there's a better way to describe it, but I can't quite find the words). The story itself follows three timelines: The Present Day set in Early Spring, the previous Fall during which Stern was learning the trade, and the previous Winter. The main chunk of the story sets itself in the six months before the present day, Fall and Winter, with the initial mystery being the disappearance of Daniel "Darlington" Arlington, Stern's guide and mentor, the Virgil to her Dante as Lethe House describes it. Though the reader is jumping between these two periods, Bardugo makes the story easy to follow, indicating the season at the start of each chapter. What I really liked about this style (and where I think Bardugo's writing shines) is the way each chapter (though they may be set in different time periods) flow from one onto the next. A chapter set in Winter ends with a question or a new insight into a previous event, then the next chapter will go back to the event in the Fall, and then the next chapter after that will pick-up with some new answer - all of it flowing from one onto the next. Yes, the story could have simply followed a more linear path but that simply ruins the suspense and isn't as fun. I've also read through stories that would instead provided needed/vital information via info-dumps, so I'm happy that the backstory is included as part of the story itself.

You keep saying, "magic" so tell me about the magic system, you say (or at least I assume you are, you fucking nerd - another assumption but why else would you be reading this?). Alex's unique ability to see ghosts, or "Grays,'" and of course her later interactions with them, seems to be an anomaly as only a few others have reported the same powers. Of course, this is what makes her stand out, getting the attention of Lethe House. The Societies typically use forms of ritual magic, their power drawn from their own individual Tombs where their magic is most concentrated. Each House practices a different and specific form of magic, though they all tend to share similar requirements to enact: A number of members at the ritual location, chanting, notable objects, and time. Lethe House, on the other hand, having no Tomb or center of power of their own, as well as being required to tend to events at a variety of locations, utilize magical items and potions for easier transportation and mobility. Most items and potions used are pretty standard stuff if you've read a lot of fantasy, leaving it up to Alex to utilize them to the fullest potential - showing off her ingenuity and quick-wit.

Strange Academy: Finals Vol. 4 by Skottie Young

 

The prophecy set forth at the beginning of the school year will finally be resolved as we find which student is destined to bring doom to the school and which will stand to defend it. While Emily Bright leads her rebellion against the teachers of Strange Academy, the remaining students work hard to keep the school functioning and clean. Between classes though, they'll set out to rescue one of their own, put on a carnival to raise money for the city, and even help to defend New Orleans from a terrifying storm. In the end, the prophecy will be fulfilled as the students battle each other to determine the school's ultimate fate.

The last of the "Strange Academy" stories collected into a single volume. Seeing these individual issues of "Strange Academy: Finals" on the shelves of the comic book store was what got me into the series to start, and that it was written by Skottie Young of I Hate Fairyland is simply a bonus. As I've said many, many times before, I'm a sucker for Magic School Fantasy, so this comic series fits perfectly for me. I've probably talked about comic and magic schools a lot, but, well, you're here reading this, so you're going to hear about it some more. What really makes this particular Magic School story stand out to me (besides obviously the students and magic) is, since this is set in the Marvel Universe, superheroes also exist. The children aren't simply learning to control and harness their abilities, but as their teachers are also famous superheroes idolized by not only the kids but people across the globe, they're also striving to be better people.

Unfortunately, it was stated (at least for now, fingers-crossed) that this would be the last "Strange Academy" story written by Skottie Young. I'm hoping he'll be back later to continue the stories of these characters but who knows. As for this resolution - sure, it had the big battle the MCU movies are know for, but I'm happier it wasn't the climax/ finale of the story. After all, I know it's a story involving magic and superheroes and good vs evil, but ultimately it's a story about kids [SPOILER, obviously]. Seeing it all come down to Doyle vs Emily and that their fight wasn't simply the two flinging magical energy at each other but actually trying to convince the other to change their mind and join their side was much more heartfelt and in-line with their youthful, teenage characters. After the battle, the kids pick up the pieces and complete the end of their first year, leaving so much room for growth, but that will be all up to Marvel if they're willing to bring Young back to work on future issues (I really hope so).

DIE vol 1: Fantasy Heartbreak by 

 

For their 16th birthday, Ash and Solomon's friends get together to play a brand new Role-Playing Game designed by Solomon himself. It is on that night the six of them vanish without a trace, only for five of them to mysteriously reappear two years later, unable to speak about what happened to them. Twenty-five years later, the group is brought back together thanks to a simple yet cryptic message received from their missing friend - Solomon's 20-sided die covered in blood. The five will travel back to the world of DIE, again taking on the role of their characters, only to find they've become trapped in DIE by Solomon himself, who has now assumed control over the world.

 Again, thanks to both my new Dungeons and Dragons obsession and my rekindled comic book love, I picked this up from OtherRealms after seeing it on the shelf and thinking, "Hmm, that cover looks interesting." I mean, you've probably already read or seen something like this plot before - a group of kids playing a game get sucked into the game and now must struggle to survive until they find their way out (Jumangi, Sword Art Online, just to name a few). What I think sets it apart from those is first (obviously) the different Player Characters the characters can embody in the world (I'll definitely get to one in particular), but also how the characters' motivations help to shape the world as well as drive the story. In other stories of this type, the world is usually a set, solid thing and it is up to the characters to adapt as well as move themselves forward in the story. In DIE, though, escaping the world truly does hinge on the characters and how they fare in not only the world of DIE but in their real lives as well.

Obviously each of the characters portray a different character class (wouldn't be very interesting if they were all the same). For just a bit though, I just want to talk about one in particular, The Neo. A cyberpunk-inspired rogue, Angela's character uses technology as her weapon in this fantasy world. What I love about the class the most is the condition that she restock on gold every day to fuel her abilities. Every day. So Ash, quite accurately, compares her class to the typically untrustworthy Rogue D&D class seeing as Angela also can't be trusted as she is an addict always in search of gold. It's such an interesting take on the class, and the requirement for the party to constantly look for a particular component everyday is interesting though I'd probably use it as more of a niche for a warlock class. That said, each class is it's own interesting take on the classic D&D and I'm interested to see how they'll all play out.

I also enjoyed the essays set at the end of the volume, each describing what went into creating the world of DIE, the characters and their classes, and even how the chapters are split and contained. Yes, probably because it is simply writer shop talk, but I really liked seeing the little breakdowns that went into creating the story and the information that went into it. I mean, I also do it all the time in my own short stories.

One other thing to check out, as if my bank account could afford to take the extra hit, is if you're into this story and world as well as Tabletop games, is trying your hand at the TTRPG version. Yeah, they made their own TTRPG version of DIE so you and your friends (or enemies, whatever) can play in the world too! That's so cool but so far from where I am in my Tabletop life (and, like I mentioned) bank account.

Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia

 

 Owen Pitt and the rest of the Monster Hunter International are invited to attend the first ever Monster Hunter Convention in Las Vegas, and it's everything he imagined it would be: hunters from across the globe swapping stories, panels hosted by industry experts and insiders, and even hands-on testing of the newest prototypes. It's supposed to be a vacation, but someone else has other plans. When an experiment from World War II gets loose, the rival hunter companies set their sights on being the first to bag the elusive creature. When the monster turns out to be more than they thought it was, it'll be up to Owen Pitt and the rest of the hunters to save Sin City.

Damn, I really didn't realize just how long it's been since I've read these novels. So, this makes the fourth of I think eight Monster Hunter novels (at least in the main story). Being so far behind in the series, they're really hard to find at Barnes and Nobles so I have to remember to save room in my box of "Books to be Read" and order it off of Amazon whenever I've put together a big enough list. Surprisingly, even at 500 pages and (from what I remember) it usually taking me longer to read these books (no idea why, though it's the same for a lot of High Fantasy), I ripped through this one in just over two weeks, which feels like a record for me. The only issue is that, because of the time spent between books, I've forgotten some of the events (not the major ones at least) but luckily, the story provides a quick reference at times so there's really no need to stop and look up what previously happened.

I'm sure I mentioned this before, but (just as with the previous three novels) these books would make excellent action movies. Monster Hunter International is a private firm dedicated to hunting down monsters which prey on humanity, collecting on bounties set by various world governments who simply want to keep the existence of monsters from the general public. Previous novels saw the company defeating a variety of monsters with an assortment of guns, knives, explosives, tactics, and even magical weaponry, and this book is no different. Owen Pitt is your typical action hero - he's strong, brave, wise enough to know when to ask for help, and gets the beautiful woman at the end of the story - he's the male fantasy in-line with all these other action star leading men. His wife, Julie Shackleford, is just as tough, brave, smart, and the best marksmen on their team. The rest of the team is made of Hunters who were once regular people ignorant of the existence of monsters, and who now see monster hunting as a calling. It's an action-filled ride as Monster Hunter International hunt down the creature keeping them trapped in their Las Vegas hotel, while connecting the incident to a longer growing conspiracy I'm assuming will pay off big in later books - if I can ever get around to them.

Personal by Lee Child

 

 A mysterious message from the past past brings Jack Reacher back to the US Army in the hopes of finding who just took a shot at the French President and bringing them to justice. From a range of almost a mile, there's few snipers throughout the globe who would possibly make that shot - and Reacher happened to send one of them to prison. Now that John Kott, a former US military sniper is out and on the loose, it's up to Jack Reacher to discover if he was the one who took the shot, and, if so, put him back behind bars before the upcoming G8 summit.

Another Jack Reacher novel! I know, right, it's been a while since I've read one of these. Luckily (maybe thanks to how popular the show is now on Amazon Prime), Barnes and Nobles always seems to have a copy of each book in stock so they're always available when I need one. Another action-filled thriller as Jack Reacher hunts down a man bent on revenge and able to kill from nearly a mile away. A solid story, not the best and not the worst in the series - a great middle-level, cozy (there's probably a better word but I can't think of it, or maybe it is the right word for the type of books I like) novel. I feel like I'm usually pretty good at figuring out the twist in these stories, at least before the main character finds out, but for this one I really only got part of it and the rest surprised me at the end.

United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas

Decades ago, the Axis Powers won the Second World War. Japan now rules over a vast majority of what was once the United States of America. Those living under The Emperor's rule are taught a skewed version of history while anything less than obedience is punishable by death. Captain Beniko Ishimura monitors videogames for any signs of treason or treachery. When a new game emerges depicting a world in which the Allies won World War Two, the government tasks Ishimura with finding who is distributing it and shut it down. As he delves deeper into the investigation, however, Ishimura finds the case more complicated than he originally believed, its content more accurate than his superiors would like, and its creator someone no one expected.

So, obviously I picked this up because of the giant mech shown on the cover. I heard about this book awhile back, and found a used (i.e. discounted) copy at Skull-Face Books after selling off some old ones. One warning: if you're like me and you wanted to see a bunch of mech battles, this is not the book for you - though mechs are present throughout the story, there were only three battles. If you're a fan of alternate history fantasy, then this book is definitely something to check out. I feel like there's already a bunch of stories, videogames, TV shows depicting life under Nazi rule if the Axis won, but no one really talks about what Japan and Italy would've gained. The story doesn't delve too deep into what alternate actions the Axis could've taken to win the war, but instead gives a brief glimpse at at, and then jumps into life under Japanese occupation/ rule in California. I feel like a deep dive would've taken away from the story, and besides, there's also a lot of info out there about how the Axis could've won that you can go out and read it on your own. Set forty years after World War Two, the story definitely gives off "1984" Orwellian - vibes as the Japanese government monitors all of its citizens' communications, utilizing government censor programs and secret police officers.

So, um, I don't know, I didn't really care for this story. I saw a lot of good reviews for it praising the writing, the imagination of Japan taking over the US, the giant mech fights, etc. I already addressed how I didn't think there were enough mech battles to label this as a mecha novel, but I also thought it unbelievable that the Japanese military could create a giant robot with the technology of the 1940s. The writing itself felt ... I don't know, boring, cliche, just something about it (especially the dialogue) that I didn't care for. The main character, despite my love of the slacker/ unmotivated character that's secretly capable, I really couldn't get behind him. Instead, I found the secondary character, Agent Akiko Tsukino of the secret police, much more interesting with a better story and character arc. I think this is the first of a trilogy but as much as I'd like to complete what I start, I'm not sure if I'm going to get to the rest of the story. I don't know, maybe if I find the next books on sale too.

Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days by Neil Gaiman

A collection of six stories written by Neil Gaiman back when he worked at DC comics. No, I'm not sure who chose them or the criteria used, just that they are "classic" stories, which, from what I gathered, Gaiman didn't have a lot of time to work on as he was busy with "The Sandman" at the time. Featuring classic DC comics characters such as Swamp Thing, John Constantine, and Sandman (both of them), Gaiman presents a different take on the classic comic book superhero-punches-bad guy plot, instead delivering stories more in line with his "Sandman" comic, stories about identity and heartbreak and understanding and truth. In one of his Swamp Thing stories, Jack on the Green tries to understand his place among mortal humans, while in another, he barely shows-up at all, the story instead focusing on a thing from the past trying to make sense of its place in the modern day. John Constantine is once again down on his luck when he encounters something supernatural just looking for warmth. In a crossover event (the longest story in the collection), DC comics Sandman (a detective specializing in a type of knock-out gas) meets with Gaiman's Sandman Morpheus in a mystery to uncover a killer.

I bought this a long, long time ago ... and then I guess simply lost it in a pile of books and papers and notebooks. Recently, obviously, I found it again, and went "where did this come from?" I can't even remember where I got it from. I do think though, that where I originally bought it, I probably didn't read the back but bought it because it had Neil Gaiman's name on the cover as I don't typically buy short story collections.

The Boogeyman by 

Elliott knows there are monsters, unseen in the darkness. When his parents are brutally murdered, he will find out just how real Boogeymen are. After he is saved from the same fate by Father Death, one of the oldest of Boogeymen, he'll find himself caught in the middle of a war amongst monsters as they seek to redefine the laws that govern their world. Spending the night hunted by monsters, Elliott ultimately learns what it means to truly face one's fears.

I first heard of this comic through an ad/preview in the back of an issue of another comic. The first couple of pages looked interesting enough, and upon looking into it further, I'm a fan of lore and rules amongst monsters in the darkness. Since the comic itself was already a couple issues in by the time I found out about it, so I figured I'd just wait until the collection got released to pick it up. As a short story confined to a short six issues, I thought it was really well done (I'd read other short stories that were disappointing). The story pacing, suspense, and action throughout was really well done as I read through it in just one sitting, interested to see how this whole, one-night adventure ended. The best part, I think, is that I couldn't even tell where the individual issues ended and the next one began, each part flowing so seamlessly into the next that I'm baffled how anyone read this one issue at a time. My only gripe, and it's a small one as this is a self-contained short story, is the ending wrapping up with Elliott already on his deathbed, giving a short speech about all he'd learned from his Boogeyman, as I really would've liked to see his life growing up with what he knows and what he has seen. But, as I said, it's a self-contained story with no plans for a sequel, so I understand the choice to end it that way.

The Magic Order #4 by Mark Millar

Cordelia Moonstone's exile of her own brother fro abusing his magical powers and using them for personal gain has led to a rift within The Magic Order, a rift ready to be exploited by Madam Albany revealed to be returned from the dead. Seeking a change to the rules that govern their lives, Albany and her followers stage a coup, systematically eliminating everyone in the Inner Circle who either refuses to join or could be seen as a threat. Meanwhile, Cordelia is exiled to the land of Kolthur where, to secure peace between the realms, their king was exchanged for Cordelia's brother. Cut off from her power and staring down the wand of Kolthur's current Magic King, will Cordelia be able to win her freedom in time to stop Albany's plot and save the Magic Order?

"The Magic Order" continues to be one of the best urban fantasy series delivering imaginative magical duels (and not simply wizards shooting colored lights at each other), a great story to keep the pages turning, and a couple of plot twists such that I couldn't even begin to guess what might happen next. Everything about the series has been magnificent, exactly what I want from an urban fantasy series. After Cordelia exile's her own brother, the rest of the Magic Order begin to question why they shouldn't use their abilities for personal gain, especially when they are obligated to put their lives on the line for humanity, even sacrificing themselves if needed. Cordelia though, having turned a corner in her life after rejoining The Magic Order, sees the importance of the society's rules and seeks to keep the Order bound by to its rules.

Earthdivers: Kill Columbus by Stephen Graham Jones

It's 2112 and the apocalypse is upon us. The soil is barren, the rivers have dried up, the oceans rise, and civilization has crumbled. Those who can flee, flee. Discovering a cave which can transport anyone across time and space, a group of Indigenous people decide to rewrite history by changing its course at the moment when everything went wrong: America. To save the world, the group sends one of their own to assassinate Christopher Columbus before he sets foot in the New World. History, however, does not like to change and will do whatever it can to stop their mission, no matter the future outcome. Will they manage to stop Columbus, and could the death of a single man really change the course of history?

Collecting the first six issues of "Earthdivers," a series set to explore stories of alternative history, the first arc focuses on a plot to kill Christopher Columbus and prevent the creation of America. I found out about this series later, picking up the first issue but unable to find subsequent issues. Luckily, the arc got a collected edition (not all comics get that) so I just had to wait until the collection was published. The series is currently ongoing, the new story arc being "Ice Age" which I haven't checked out yet. It's gonna sound weird, but what I really appreciated about the collected edition is the introduction by Jones describing being a "Native kid" sitting in a classroom, learning about Columbus, and just thinking, "what if?"

The main story follows Tad as he attempts to change history and save the future by killing Christopher Columbus before he can arrive to the New World and setting off the genocide of Tad's ancestors. Of course, simply slitting the man's throat isn't as simple as it sounds, and Tad's quest mission gets harder once he realizes history itself is trying to stop him. Back in the present day, the three who couldn't accompany Tad set out to find if Tad completed his mission only to make their own startling discoveries.

Overall, it is really good - the bloody, conflicted sacrifices taken by the characters are very in-line with these types of world-changing stories. I'm a little conflicted about the ending, but it does set up the next story arc, assuming "Ice Age" does pick up where "Kill Columbus" leaves off.

Night Club (#1 - 6) Completed by Mark Millar

Danny and his friends' masked vigilante antics finally catch-up with them after one of their heroic efforts blows-up in their faces, literally. With Danny severely injured, the newbie vampires are easily caught and reprimanded by Danny's maker. Unfortunately, their abilities have also caught the attention of another sinister group of vampires. Finding Danny's group weakened and out-numbered, the vampires give the teenagers one chance to save their own lives - by killing their own families.

The first six-issues of Night Club ends with a vampire brawl as Danny and friends take on a group of evil vampires. Mark Millar's modern take on vampires sees the teenagers using their new vampire powers to become masked vigilantes and, more importantly, become famous through viral internet videos. When a group of evil vampires makes themselves known, though outmatched in raw power, Night Club will use whatever they can get their hands on to survive. I really liked seeing the teenage recklessness given to Danny, a trait only amplified when he receives his powers - and then shattered when he finally discovers what lurks in this new world he finds himself in. I tend to like a lot of these modern takes on old horror stories and monsters, and though vampires in the modern age has been done many times before, I liked Millar's take on giving the powers not only to teenagers but teenagers who've been influenced by the internet and modern day superhero stories.

The end of the first arc sets up the next arc to focus on the relationships between the three friends as well as the growing strife between them. Can you really remain friends for an eternity?

Ultimate Invasion (Issue# 1-4) Completed by 

 The Maker, an evil version of the genius Reed Richards, from the Ultimates Universe, has managed to not only escape his hidden prison but also escape to a new reality entirely - a new universe which he's able to bend and shape as he pleases. Stop Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider? Check. Install Loki as the ruler of Asgard? Check. Stop the creation of the Fantastic Four, and thus this universe's version of himself? Check. Upon eliminating or incapacitating potential threats to his plans, The Maker sets his sights upon the world, creating a secret cabal of global leaders to assist in keeping the population calm and under control. Upon discovering The Maker's machinations, however, Howard Stark (along with a masked and docile Reed Richards) devise a plan to take back their world from the interloper. Disrupting a system which controls the entire world however leads to the creation of very powerful enemies, and so, upon Howard's Death, Anthony Stark throws his lot in with Richards to create a team to reshape the world for the better.

They're bringing back The Ultimate Universe! Surprisingly, as a kid, I didn't read a lot of Western comic books. In college and after though, I started to get back into American comics thanks to Fables (side note: DC, what the fuck are you guys doing over there?) and the Marvel movies. "The Ultimates" were one of those graphic novels I picked up and while I never followed the original run, I was still interested in this sort-of Avengers team put together to face a world more like our own than the ones which you typically find in the pages of comic books. When I heard Marvel was bringing it back with the start of "Ultimate Invasion #1", I knew I had to pick it up. Of course (luckily for me) the story is filled with enough major characters that I either recognize from other comics or the MCU that I didn't need to go out of my way to do research on who these people were.

It's also a superhero comic so of course you're getting the standard folks-in-spandex-outfits-punching-and-kicking-and-using-superpowers action. What I think makes "The Ultimates" stand out from the rest is how closely it can parallel the real world. While the original "The Ultimates" focused on the threat of emerging superpowers and the United States of America as a global power threatening the sovereignty of other nations, the reboot creates a secret cabal of world leaders led by The Maker who manipulate the public perspective through fear to keep them under control (sounds kinds conspiratorially familiar, huh). Anyways, it sets up an exciting series once Marvel begins it's Ultimate-line again with a new set of Avengers going up against global superpowers and nations as well as (more than likely) the public consciousness whose been conditioned to believe has always been this way - and show it instead that there is a better way forward.

Knight Terrors (DC Comics) Completed

A mysterious villain forces all the superheroes, along with the rest of the world, into a deep sleep - forcing them to confront their darkest fears and nightmares - while he scours the Earth for the hidden Nightmare Stone. Deadman, a spirit trapped in the mortal plane, seeks out the stone, hoping to use its powers to reawaken the heroes and defeat the villain.

I first saw this crossover special as a preview during Free Comic Book Day, and a horror-style comic book seemed new for the DC world so I decided to stay with it when the crossover happened. The main story arc was ... meh, it was okay. Insomniac (the new big bad guy) was kind of lackluster as he mostly sent "scary" monsters at the hero and attempted to scare him out of discovering more about his past through nightmares. I think it was the motivation that really put me off as it's A) nothing that I hadn't seen before (heroes are bad because they didn't save my family while fighting villains) and B) kinda stupid (sorry, even if they are superheroes, no they can't save everyone). Maybe I might've enjoyed it more if I invested in the two-part character issues which went into the nightmares of individual characters such as Superman, Batman, The Joker, and others, but I simply didn't want to spend the $5 per issue (sorry, comic books are expensive). Though I'm curious to find out if the repercussions of Knight Terrors will actually carry over into the rest of the DC comics universe as that might actually prove interesting (are people now too scared of heroes to trust them?), I really don't want to spend the money to find out.

City Boy (Issues# 1 - 4) by Greg Pak

 Cameron Kim's unique ability to speak to cities - to see their hidden histories and secrets - allows him to find and pawn lost goods and treasures, helping himself make his way in the world. Along with finding missing objects however, also comes the power to awaken the avatars of each city - the bigger the city, the more powerful its avatar - and there are those who would exploit his power to bring about a global catastrophe.

Introduced during DC's "Lazarus Planet" crossover event, Cameron Kim is an entirely new character to the DC universe which is one of the reasons I picked it up. Originally, I picked this up thinking Kim's power might be something similar to Jack Hawksmoor, the god of cities, from "The Authority" comic, but instead it is something much more interesting. At least to me, it is always more interesting to see a superpower that doesn't simply enable the hero to punch, run, or shoot some sort of beam at the enemy. As a new hero, Kim also receives some mentoring from a couple of established heroes who help him to gain some control of his new abilities.

Spirit World (Issues# 1 - 6) Completed by Alyssa Wong

Xanthe Zhou is a spirit envoy, one who travels between the land of the living and the spirit world transporting goods between the two. When Batgirl is accidentally sent to the spirit world while helping to defend the city from jiangshi, they'll team up with John Constantine to find a way back to rescue their friend. In the spirit world though, spirits are going missing as a mysterious evil entity sweeps through, all while the Jade Court that presides over it turns a blind eye.

Introduced during DC's "Lazarus Planet" crossover event, Xanthe Zhou is an entirely new character to the DC universe. Of course, one of the other reasons I got interested in this comic was the John Constantine connection as well as the Bat Family connection, which also helps. And of course, I'm going to jump into this one because it's about magic. Zhou utilizes magical objects created from folded paper to battle against spirits and other monsters. The story incorporates traditional Chinese myths such as fox spirits and the Jade Court to create a new world of spirits. The six-issue story technically ended in October but because I'm so late typing this out, I figured I'd just write this out now instead of putting it with the next list too. The reveal at the end of the story showing Zhou's origins and her decision affecting her future in the spirit world makes me interested to see what might happen next, assuming DC allows more issues to be written.

The Unbelievably, Unfortunately, Mostly Unreadable, and Nearly Unpublishable, Untold Tales of I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young (issues# 1 - 3)

A collection of short stories based in the I Hate Fairyland universe, Skottie Young brings together a batch of talented writers and artists to create their own stories within this fantastical world he's created. Opening with the previously (sadly) skipped over battle between Gert and Bruud the Brutal from Gert's first trek through Fairyland, we get the same wit and gory cartoonish violence the series is known for. Besides the expected tales of Gert's original brutal escapades through Fairyland, we also see some other familiar faces such as Cloudia and her return to Fairyland, and even how Duncan the Dragon spends his days. It's a great way to tell a few more stories that would not/ may not fit with the original I Hate Fairyland run, especially the tale of how Fairyland restructured their rules in regards to the visitors they bring over (it involves a caveman-like Gert and Duncan the Dinosaur - so cool!) It's also a fun way to bring others into the project to see what they can create. Mostly though, it's just a way for me to get my I Hate Fairyland junkie-fix while I wait for the next collection to be released.

Big Game (Issues# 1-3) by Mark Millar

Following the conclusion of Mark Millar's Nemesis: Reloaded, The Fraternity has once again stepped out of the shadows to cull the emerging, upstart superhero community to continue the status quo as the world's secret masters. The Fraternity's supervillains work their way through the Millar-verse, eliminating heroes with ease. Will the heroes be able to mount a comeback, or will The Fraternity succeed in their plan?

A Miller-verse crossover event! I was so excited seeing Wesley Gibson at the end of the Nemesis: Reloaded and then for Mark Millar to announce a huge crossover event involving many of his properties such as Wanted, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Kick-Ass, and even newer titles like The Ambassadors, Night Club, and The Magic Order. If you've never read any of the other titles, there's a list provided to show not only which comics to read but also the order in which to read them. To be honest, I definitely have not read all of the titles, but I've read some of the more recent titles and have heard of a lot of the others. The first three issues so far focuses simply on The Fraternity wiping out all of the new, up-and-coming heroes as Wesley Gibson's father and his colleagues did decades ago with all of the brutal violence you'd expect from a Mark Millar work. It's been a lot of fun so far seeing old characters and new interacting with each other in this crossover event I never imagined would happen.

In Hell, We Fight (Issues# 1 -5) Completed by John Layman

A simple ice-cream truck robbery goes perfectly but instead of the sweet dessert, a set of Hell-bound souls discover a kidnapped angel. Looking to take advantage of their new hostage, the group instead find themselves on the run from the demon looking to reclaim their lost property.

A new, weird, fun story involving a group of souls trapped in Hell looking to make the most of their situation. It's a road trip story as the group dodge bounty hunters, monsters, and demons in an attempt to use their new-found situation to possibly escape Hell to Heaven. The group consists of Midori, a former Yakuza assassin; Ernie, a boy killed by a cursed axe; Xander, a young man who enjoyed killing frogs only to be killed by a frog demon; and Balphie, a young demon enamored with Midori. Together, along with the captured Angel, the group traverses Hell's weird landscape. Though issue five was released in October, I figured since I'm typing this out so late I'd just add it to the Quarter 3 books instead of writing about it once more in Quarter 4. Issues one through five concludes the first arc of the series, and the story is interesting and funny enough that I'd like to see what the rest of the story holds.