In The Stack 4/2009

Is your life busy and hectic? Do you find yourself running from one thing to the next while looking longingly at bookshelves filled with past conquests and wishing that you had time to add to them? Fear not, fellow reader. That’s what comics are for - people like us who love reading the just don't have time to do it very often or for very long!

Here's a rundown of what's in my stack.

The Incredible Hercules #127

You just gotta love this comic! It's the perfect blend of silliness and action that somehow always manages to stay on the right side of the stupid line. I'm hoping I don't miss too much Herc/Amadeus action now that they are regular members of the Mighty Avengers (which happens to be one of those comics on the wrong side of the stupid line).

Fantastic Four -- Dark Reign #2

I don't know why I keep buying the Fantastic Four. No that's not true. I buy it because Jessica Alba was in the movies. The movies weren't really all that good either, but Jessica Alba -- delicious.

The New Avengers #51

Anything with Doctor Strange is good in my book. I haven't read this one yet but I'm looking forward to it. Bendis almost never disappoints.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #24

I'm looking forward to reading this one – Faith! – although I have to admit that the last few issues have been among the weakest of the series. We went from that incredible arc with Fray to that debacle of the Harmony issue. The last issue, the one with the rogue Slayer, was pretty decent but still not up to par with the rest of the series. I hope this gets back on track soon.

The Umbrella Academy, Dallas #5

The Umbrella Academy's first run was just all around stunning. I'm not really sure what's up with this one. Sophomore efforts can sometimes be rocky so I'm willing to overlook it -- for now.

Ms. Marvel # 37

This comic just confuses me. I really want to like it and sometimes there are some really stellar issues, like the one a few back when she went to visit her family, but lately I just can't keep track of what timeframe we’re in. This one is about one step away from being On Notice.

Runaways #8

I love Runaways. I love the art. I love the characters. And if the story is a little silly, that's okay because this comic just doesn't take itself too seriously.

The Immortal Iron Fist #20

Yes, I'm a few issues behind. I've been pleased that the Swierczynski run has been pretty decent. Matt Fraction set an incredibly high bar and so far I haven't been disappointed.

The Invincible Iron Man # 11

(Nice segue, eh?) I like just about everything about this comic. I like Pepper, Maria Hill, you name it.

Dark Avengers #2

Brian Michael Bendis is a rock star and Mike Deodato plays bass.

Angel #18

I really liked Brian Lynch’s run on this comic. Sometimes the story felt a little disjointed but for the most part it was a really fun ride and a worthy follow-up to season five. Not sure what's going on yet with the new run by Kelley Armstrong. Will wait and see.

Star Trek Countdown #3

This is actually really good. If you aren't reading it you should be.

Secret Warriors #2

Loads of potential here. We’ll see.

The Dark Tower, Treachery #6

This comic just keeps getting better. #6 was epic. The art is fantastic, the story is better, and even though I more or less know what's going to happen I find myself eager to turn the page.

Lock and Key Head Games #3

Not entirely sure what to make of this comic, but I like it.

Incognito #2

Too soon to say.

All Hail Megatron # eight

I go back and forth on this one. Sometimes I really like it and sometimes I don't. I keep buying it though, so that must say something -- I think. One thing is for sure, the alternate covers totally kick ass. PS my voice translation software always wants to capitalize the word Gates (you see?) But it didn't no Megatron. Fail.

The Stand, American Nightmare's #!

I've never read the book. Is it a cheat that I'm reading the comics?

Patiently waiting for more issues of:
Elektra Dark Reign
Wolverine, Old Man Logan
Gigantic
Thor
Kick Ass
Star Wars Legacy
Powers

Repost: A Spy in the House of Love

Hop on over to Wyrdsmiths and check it out!

http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/2009/04/guest-blog-spy-in-house-of-love.html

Stretching

Sometimes you have to stretch. I don't mean putting on some loose fitting clothes and heading down to the gym, i mean taking your career or hobby or passion and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and opening yourself new possibilities.

Now, I know from experience that's easy to say, but it isn't easy to do! Whether we are talking about work or in my case, writing, we all tend to fall into that comfy rut, that path of least resistance where things are easy to deal with. Of course, the problem with being in a rut is that while you are there you you are limiting your potential for growth -- you aren't stretching.

In my case, stretching means taking my writing in new directions and into new venues. Specifically, I'm talking about my posts on the Wyrdsmiths blog. For me, this process has been, to be frank, moderately terrifying! Here I am, little old, unpublished me, blogging about controversial topics on a website frequented by established writers that I look up to and respect. Even merely contemplating the possibility of putting up those blog posts was enough to make me think twice.

I debated for a long time about doing it. Then, after getting the go-ahead I drug my feet for a couple weeks before sending off my first post. I nervously waited for my post to go up and then was pleasantly surprised to see a number of comments. I was energized!

Ready to go with post number two, I decided to break out the big guns. My first post was a bit of a puff piece but this time I wanted to take it a step farther. I wanted to move into territory that would stretch both me and my audience. So what do I do? I choose a topic that essentially confronts one of the fundamental tenets the writing community.

Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Post number two ( http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/2009/04/guest-blog-creative-commons.html ) has turned out to be a mixed bag. There were no cries of "heretic get off of our blog!" so that's a good thing. Of course, there weren't any other cries, or even murmurings. Oh, except for the one where someone pointed out a factual inconsistency in my post. It was a minor thing in the grand scheme of what I was trying to accomplish, but it didn't do anything for my stress level. :-O

So, now, here I am, still ruminating about that frakking post two days later.

I need to get over it. Move on. Maybe start writing post number three.

I need to keep on stretching.