Thinking of going all-grain?

Another analysis of the question - and where I stole this image.

I'm a homebrewer, and I wrote several months ago about how I had made the switch from extract kits to all grain kits. Take a look at that particular entry if you want my initial impressions. For this post, I want to give those who are considering going all grain some additional thoughts.

Why?

Because I've gone back to extract kits.

I'm not saying that I'll never go all-grain again. I'm not planning on getting rid of my equipment (that a friend gave me for free) but I don't see myself doing an all grain kit anytime in the near future. Maybe if I see a really cool all-grain recipe or I get some sort of brilliant idea where all-grain is the better option, I'll do it again. But I just made an extract kit today, and I've got two more out in the garage for the next couple of batches that I brew.

There are advantages to all-grain. One of them is that the kits are about $10 cheaper. Also, you have more control over the finished product. For instance, if you can control the temperature just right as you mash the grains, you can control whether your beer is more on the malty or sweet side. Oh, and I suppose that if you own a cow, you have a nice treat for her when you're all done with the grains.

The problem is that with more control there are more ways for you to screw something up. Yeah, if you can control the temperature you can control the flavor, but CAN you control the temperature? There are a lot of variables in that alone, one of the most crucial being how warm it is outside as you have them in the mash. (There's some really expensive equipment you can get that will control it precisely if you want.)

Sure, you'll save some money, but you're going to be out there brewing for at least an additional two to three hours, nearly doubling the time you'd normally spend brewing your beer. For me, that was the deciding factor. I figured that two hours was worth ten bucks. I was outside, frustrated in the heat that it was taking so long, and my wife asked me why I was doing that to myself, as I normally seemed much more enthusiastic about brewing.

With the few all-grain batches I've made, I didn't notice a significant difference in quality. I know that I definitely noticed one when I went from a three gallon boil (which required me to add two gallons of water at the end) to a five gallon boil (which required the purchase of an outdoor burner). However with this? The only really noticeable thing was how much clearer my beers looked, but when a beer tastes really good, you kinda stop giving a crap about how clear it is or isn't.

I'm definitely glad that my friend gave me the equipment though. I had been toying with the idea of making the leap to all-grain, but doing so would have set me back a couple hundred dollars. I also had a good time with the few batches I made (with the exception of the last one) and like I said before, I'll probably eventually make another. (Perhaps for my annual pumpkin ale?)

However, if you're on the fence, ask yourself the following questions before you make the leap (unless you have a generous friend like I do):

1. Are you satisfied with the beers you're making?
2. Would you potentially miss $200?
3. Would you rather save some time than save some money?

If you answered yes to all of these, then you might want to just stick with what you're doing.

Comics Roundup for 6/20/12

Some good stuff this week, which means that I probably won't have too much to say about them.

Avenging Spider-Man #8 - I was actually thinking of dropping this title.  Not sure why, as it has been consistently entertaining, and this issue is no exception.  Actually, this one is a companion piece to what's been going on over in the main Spidey title, even though it's not required reading to understand this story.  It's a fun, done-in-one, issue involving Doctor Doom, Silver Sable, and Doctor Strange.

Avengers Versus X-Men #6 - While this issue wasn't anything too special, I do like the dilemma that it sets up.  Basically, the X-Men have gotten what they want, and they essentially rule the world.  The Avengers have decided that they need to stop them.  But should they?  The X-Men seem to be making it a better world; however, does anybody have the right to wield that much power?

Wonder Woman #10 - This really doesn't feel much like a superhero book, but at the same time, it rings very true to what I've always understood that Wonder Woman was all about.  It's a bit more Greek epic than anything else, but you've got a strong and compelling female lead instead of the usual male.

The New Avengers #27 - This issue was decent, as it's tying into the main AvX series.  It's nice to see Iron Fist's mythology playing a greater role in the Marvel Universe, and it's good to see that Spider-Man has something significant to do in this whole conflict.  Hopefully it will go beyond telling Hope that "with great power comes great responsibility" though.  That's a good start, but I'm going to want to see more.

Winter Soldier #7 - Nothing too special about this one storywise.  Still, it has one of the best executed action sequences that I've seen in a long time.  I credit Michael Lark's storytelling skills for that one even more than Ed Brubaker's writing.  The cliffhanger ending makes me look forward to the next issue as well.

Daredevil #14 - One thing you can say about Mark Waid's run on this character is that it certainly doesn't feel like I've read this stuff before.  DD in Latveria?  Cool.  Still, the way they're messing with him seems a tad bit arbitrary.  I hope that Doom himself shows up in the next issue.

Exbeerimenting

For a blog called Comics, Beer, and Shakespeare the focus seems to be comics and religion lately.  I don't want to change the name, because then people will start to think that I'm posting Chick Tracts or something like that.  Well, I'm going to be seeing a couple of live Shakespeare productions in the next few months - The Tempest next week, and Hamlet in the fall, so I'll definitely blog about those.  What about beer though?

I actually had to take a hiatus from homebrewing.  Why?  I had to move, and I just might blog about that bit of drama sometime soon.  For now though, let's just say that I didn't want to have several cases of beer to move in addition to all of the other stuff.  So, I basically stopped and drank up what I had stored.  There was  a time there when I was unsure as to whether I was going to get to brew in the new place, and for a time it looked like the best case scenario is that I'd have to do something drastic and scale back to 2 gallon batches (instead of 5).  You probably remember that, as it was on all of the news channels, the stars all disappeared (SHAKESPEARE/MACBETH REFERENCE!) and President Obama made a speech, declaring that if he had a son who was a homebrewer, his son would probably brew beers like the ones that I brewed.  (To which all of the right-wing pundits accused him of hating wine makers, and the left-wing pundits praised him for supporting a public school teacher.)

But I'm BACK, baby!  We've been here a few months now, and I've already brewed three batches, and I'm probably going to brew another before the end of the month.  For starters, I brewed a tasty Porter (pictured) and next up I made a flavorful Belgian Pale Ale.  For the third one though, I wanted to try something a little different.

'Cause that's the thing when you've been brewing a few years like I have.  You just might find yourself wanting to experiment a little.  After all, you might just create something really tasty, and you can take some pride in it being your own concoction.  That certainly has happened to me, and even though for the most part I use ready-made ingredient kits, I've done a bit of experimenting.  So far, all of them have been a success, with not just me liking them, but friends and family enjoying them as well.  Along those lines, I've made a chili ale, a pumpkin ale, a ginger-coriander Saison, and a maple brown ale.

Of course, none of those styles are completely unheard of, but I I had to use my own instincts and know-how to determine just how I would go about making them, and in all of those cases, I wound up with something that tasted just like I wanted it to taste (with the exception of half the batch of chili ale, which was a tad spicier than I would have liked).

I'm starting to get that itch again.  I want to try something new.  However, the problem is that perhaps I will get too ambitious and create something awful like tuna ale.  Well, you're never going to know the line until you at least put your foot on it.

I did do something a bit unconventional though with my last batch.  I made a clone of Russian River's Blind Pig IPA, which is a smooth, but very flavorful (notes of pine and oak in the smell) beer.  I've made it several times before, and it's always tends to go pretty fast when I have some handy.  The thing that I did differently though is that I didn't use the standard California Ale Yeast from White Labs (which I believe is basically the yeast that Sierra Nevada uses for its Pale Ale).  I went ahead and re-used the yeast that I used from the Belgian Pale Ale that I had made.  That was White Labs's Golden Ale, which I understand is a clone of what's used to make Duvel, one of my all-time favorite beers, and probably my favorite Belgian ale.

Ever have a Duvel before?  If you're over 21 and like beer, then stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW and go out and get one.  I see them all the time at my local grocery stores, so you just might have them at yours.  One of my pet peeves is when people say that they like "dark" or "lighter" beers as though those words describe flavor.  Duvel is a light-colored beer that has packs a wallop when it comes to flavor, so it just might change your mind as to what beer can be.

So basically I took a beer that has a strong hoppy flavor and used a yeast that imparts a strong, yeasty flavor.  It's hard to describe what Belgian yeasts are like, but I like to use the word "funky".  And I mean that in a good way, but it's just so different from what every other type of yeast does.

I wondered which of the two flavors would win out in the end, but they both blended together really well.  My mother-in-law said that she thought she tasted ginger in it, and I can see how she would get that impression.  The initial taste is vaguely like a gingerbread cookie.

Now, this idea was not entirely my own.  New Belgium makes something called a Belgo, which is described as a Belgian IPA, and while mine doesn't taste exactly like that, if you try one of those, you'll kind of get the idea behind what I made.

So, what's next?  A chili Belgian?  A ginger-chili ale?  A maple-pumpkin?  A variation on my previous pumpkin only creating a maltier beer and using an English style yeast?  Only time will tell.

Comics Roundup for 6/13/12

Batman #10 - Holy crap, but this was good stuff.  Scott Snyder is writing stuff that's just as epic as Grant Morrison's, but without the trippy, somewhat confusing aspect.  Anyway, there's a big reveal in this one, as we find out who's been behind all the Court of Owls shenanigans in Gotham City, and it's a pretty good surprise.  While much of this is due to Scott Snyder's writing, much of the appeal is from Greg Capullo's art - in particular, his layouts and storytelling skill.  I remember years and years ago Capullo did a column for Wizard where he explained how to draw comics, and he would often focus on that aspect of the art, which was ironic because you didn't get to see him utilize those skills all that much while he was drawing Spawn.  I guess he got a pretty hefty paycheck for those books though.  Anyway, I hope that this is a team that will stick around for some time.

Batman and Robin #10 - Between Batman and the recently relaunched Batman Incorporated, it's kinda easy to forget that this is also an awesome Batman book.  Peter Tomasi's stories haven't disappointed yet, and we get another good setup with this one, as Damien Wayne, the current Robin, challenges all the former Robins in a determined effort to prove that he's the best of the lot of them.  Tomasi is really doing something great with Damien in this book, and it was hard to believe that somebody other than Grant Morrison could pull that off.

Captain America #13 - Nothing too special here, but it's a solid entry in a pretty engaging storyline involving a new Scourge of the Underworld.  Patrick Zircher's doing some pretty good artwork here.

Batgirl #10 - I always rave about this Bat-book as well, even though it's not about the original Bat-character.  This was another solid issue - not quite as Earth-shattering as the first storyline, but Gail Simone manages to introduce a pretty nasty set of despicable villains.

Green Lantern #10 - As always, there isn't much interesting to say, as we basically just have another solid installment of a great series.  The Indigo Lanterns who represent empathy?  Yeah, turns out they're all a bunch of psychos, and the lantern basically acts as therapy/recovery for them, which explains why Black Mask joined their ranks.  However, he managed to get out, die again, and once again become a Black Lantern.  Oh boy, not those guys again!  Looking forward to what comes next.

The Amazing Spider-Man #687 - This is a pretty good wrap up to the "Ends of the Earth" storyline.  Supposedly, somebody's dead at the end, which is hard for Spidey, who recently swore that "nobody dies" under his watch.  Somehow though, I doubt that this death will be permanent.

The Avengers #27 - They're definitely doing a good job of weaving stories within the larger story of Avengers Versus X-Men, and this issue was another good example of that.  This story deals with The Protector (lame name) whose loyalties are split between protecting The Earth and what the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree wants.  About time they did something interesting with him.

Avengers Assemble #4 - Seems like the even numbered issues are more interesting than the odd ones.  I wonder what will happen to this series when Bendis leaves the Avengers books?  It feels a bit perfunctory, but it's always good to see Thanos up to his old tricks.

Spider-Men #1 (of 5) - I'm REALLY far behind when it comes to the Ultimate comics, and I haven't even read anything with the new Ultimate Spider-Man, Miles Morales.  I was tempted to just wait for the trade on this one, but I was a bit too curious to just pass it up.  So far, we have a pretty good setup, and I'm eager to see where it goes from here.  (The two Spider-Men don't meet until the last page.)

What am I passing up?

I haven't picked up any of the Before Watchmen books, not because I'm protesting them, but it's just too big of a commitment to get seven new books a month right now.  I'll probably gradually pick them up once they're all in collected editions.

Comics Roundup for 6/6/12

Winter Soldier #6 - In this issue, Jason Bourne investigates another who underwent the same procedure...nah,  it's not that, but it is Bucky investigating another "Winter Soldier" type guy.  Pretty good stuff, and it's nice to see Michael Lark on the book.  I think that his style is a better fit with Ed Brubaker's writing.  And as much as I enjoyed the first story arc, this one seems to be even more compelling.

Avengers Versus X-Men #5 - Well, I stupidly read a spoiler for what happens in this issue, so the rest of it left me with no surprises.  That'll teach me.  Basically, what everybody was expecting to happen didn't happen, and now it looks like the X-Men are going to have the upper hand.

The Walking Dead - Volume 16 - I think that this would be a pretty frustrating series to read if I got it issue by issue.  It certainly works well in collected editions though.  Anyway, things are definitely being taken to the next level.  Inevitably, society is starting to take shape yet again, and all the pitfalls and troubles that come along with that are the problem here.  I wonder if Robert Kirkman watched that show that was on a couple years ago that went into what would happen if all the people on Earth disappeared.  This isn't exactly the same, but there are some similarities.  Who's running the nuclear reactors?  Are there gonna be some huge 'splosions soon?

Comics Roundup for 5/3012

Batman Annual #1 - Before Batman:  The Animated Series, Mr. Freeze was a "second rate Captain Cold".  When Paul Dini got his hands on him for the show, he turned into something more like a Shakespearean tragic hero.  Of course, there was that one little movie that we shall not mention where he became the Governor of California, but let's forget about that.  In the comics, the creators tried to reflect his new origin, although after a while it starts to get tough to keep making him the bad guy when deep down he's just a really scarred individual who could have been decent if only things had gone differently.

Well, Scott Snyder has a solution to this problem.  By adding a new twist to the story where Mr. Freeze just wanted to find a cure for his wife, who rests in a cryogenic deep freeze, we learn that Victor Fries was pretty disturbed from the get-go, and that woman whom he refers to as his wife?  Yeah, she never was his wife.  She was put on ice before he was even born.  The dude's a nut.

Oh, and it all ties into the "Court of Owls".  Awesome stuff.

The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #39 - Speaking of some good stuff, Marvel delivers its own top-notch annual, reminding me of the good old days of comics annuals when you got a story that stood on its own but was extra-special because of the subject matter and length.  I'm not familiar with writer Brian Reed's work, but he sure did a nice job with this twist on "It's a Wonderful Life".  Peter Parker learns what the world would be like without him, but to keep things interesting, it turns out that for some people, their lives really would have been better if he never existed.  It's a pretty emotionally ambiguous tale for a superhero story.

Super Crooks #3 - This just might be my favorite "Millarworld" series yet.  The plot is something I don't feel that I've seen before, and each issue unravels a few new interesting threads.  The first issue sets up that some supervillains head off to Europe because there are too many superheroes in America.  The second issue recruits the team, and they even get a superhero on board (much to his chagrin).  With this one, we find out a little something about the guy they plan on ripping off.  Should I be rooting for these guys?

Wolverine and the X-Men #11 - We get a bit more as to why Wolverine would suddenly agree to start working with this colleagues in the Avengers again after Captain America tossed him out of a plane, but I still feel like his change of heart is a little on the sudden side.  Do I think that Wolverine would hold a grudge like that forever?  No.  But I think it would piss him off for a little while, at least.

Comics Roundup for 5/23/12

Batman Incorporated #1 - I missed picking up Batman:  The Dark Knight even less since this one came out on the second week.  This was easily one of the best Batman books before the relaunch, and it's nice to see it back again.  Of course, there's some awesome stuff going on in Batman and Batman and Robin but this one gives us Grant Morrison at his best, and the new artist, Chris Burnham, is doing a nice job.  Fun, wacky, intricate, and slightly demented stuff here.

Aquaman #9 - I need to take the time to reread every issue of this series.  Not that I'm having difficulty following the story, but I have a feeling that there are some little details that I'm forgetting.  Anyway, I wonder how much of the stuff here is brand new to this series and how much was part of the older continuity.  One thing's for sure, I thought that the clilffhanger ending left open some pretty interesting possibilities.

The Amazing Spider-Man #686 - As always, it's somewhat tedious to write about a series that's as consistently solid as this one.  I like the twist with Mysterio in this issue.

Captain America #12 - Not much different to say with this one after the last issue.  Once again, this feels more like the pre-"death" of Captain America stories that Brubaker was doing, and that's a welcome thing to see.

Comics Roundup for 5/16/12

Winter Soldier #5 - A pretty satisfying end for the first story arc, with a good cliffhanger that makes me want to get the next issue.  Am I the only one who's realizing that Bucky's situation is kinda similar to Jason Bourne's?

Avengers Versus X-Men #4 - Hmm...didn't like this one as much.  After the great bit of tension that built to Wolverine being tossed off a plane into the snow, suddenly everything seems to be okay between Wolverine and Captain America again.  I can see him not necessarily going back to the X-Men, but this wasn't resolved very well.

Wonder Woman #9 - We get a guest artist this issue, but it's still a pretty good read - not quite as shocking of an end as the last one, but Brian Azarello knows how to end a comic with me wanting to see what happens next.

The Avengers #26 - Nice to see them finally do something interesting with The Protector, as he hasn't been doing all that much since he left the Dark Avengers.  Also nice to see Walt Simonson on pencils again.

Justice League #9 - While I'm enjoying this series, I'm somewhat disappointed at the same time.  I figured that Geoff Johns would do the same thing for the League that he did for Green Lantern and is now doing for Aquaman, but I'm not quite seeing that just yet.

Daredevil #13 - As always, not much to say other than this is a fun series.  Nice to see how much DD is interacting with the rest of the Marvel Universe.

The Secret Service #2 - I liked the first issue; this one was pretty good as well.  Mark Millar just doesn't let me down.

Comics Roundup for 5/9/12

Lots of stuff - only enough time to write a little about each:

Batman #9 - Am I the only one who thinks that "Night of the Owls" would make for an awesome Batman movie?  And couldn't you see Christopher Nolan directing it?  Ah well, hopefully The Dark Knight Rises will make me forget that.

Captain America #11 - This feels a lot more like the kind of stuff that Ed Brubaker was doing when he started on the character.  A new Scourge?  Cool.

Batman and Robin #9 - What was Robin doing during the "Night of the Owls"?  You find out here.  Another fun read, and Damien Wayne is in good hands in this series.

The Avenging Spider-Man #7 - The weakest installment story-wise has the best art with Stuart Immonen.  Didn't love it.  Didn't hate it.

Avengers Assemble #3 - Thanos shows up at the end of an Avengers story?  Why does this feel like deja vu? Anyway, a decent read, but easily this is the weakest Avengers book.

Lord of the Jungle #4 - I still find myself enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would.

The New Avengers #26 - While I enjoyed this issue, I don't like how The Avengers books always focus more on tying in to the current crossover rather than featuring the team that I'm paying to read about.

Fatale #5 - This series definitely reads better when you read all the issues in a row.  I wish that I had just waited for the trade paperbacks on this one.

Batgirl #9 - While I enjoyed this "Night of the Owls" crossover, I would have liked it more if we got a bit of the ongoing subplots from this series.

Wolverine and the X-Men #10 - Now this is how you do a tie-in to a crossover.  Just like last issue, it gives us a lot more interesting stuff than would have fit in the Avengers Versus X-Men limited series.

Green Lantern #9 - Whoa...the secret of the Indigo Tribe was surprising but still made a lot of sense.  Good stuff, like usual.

Comics Roundup for 5/2/12

I've heard more than once from somebody that he or she reads my blog "with the exception of the comics stuff".  But every now and then, somebody actually tells me that he or she reads the Comics Roundup.  Sometimes that makes me feel obligated to write more thorough reviews/critiques.  But then again, if these weren't good enough, then why would they be reading them?  As I've stated before, the purpose of this is to get me to think about my comics purchases, as I sometimes keep getting some stuff out of habit.  If I hate it and have to write about it, I'm less likely to keep getting it.  This also explains why you don't find a lot of negative comments, as when I stop liking it, I stop getting it.  Anyway, here's what I got this week:

Avengers Versus X-Men #3 - I'm enjoying this series quite a bit.  I believe that I said before that the whole idea for this series seemed like perhaps Marvel was running out of ideas for events, but so long as it was entertaining, I didn't mind.  The further we get into this, the more I realize that Marvel did it not just because it's such an obvious crossover, but it's really ripe for all kinds of conflicts.  Basically, it's not just Avengers fighting X-Men and that's that.  With this issue, the whole Avenger/X-Man situation with Wolverine has just gotten a lot more complicated, and I'm thinking that this might be a bit more of a Avengers versus X-Men versus Wolverine and the mutants who are loyal to him.  He's definitely got his own agenda going on here.

The Amazing Spider-Man #685 - Quite a cliffhanger here, and we're only halfway through?  Anyway, like always - not much to say, just a fun read that leaves me wanting more.

Daredevil #12 - Matt Murdock is dating again.  What can possibly go wrong?  Anyway, no DD in this issue, as it's mostly a flashback to his college days with Foggy Nelson.  Did I mind?  Absolutely not, as it's another solid issue in yet another series where I just can't bring myself to repeat the reasons why I like it.

Earth 2 #1 - I dropped a few "New 52" books by now, and with this "Second Wave" I'm only interested in a couple of the new titles - this being one of them.  I don't know if I can see myself getting this title long-term, but I'm intrigued enough to pick up the next issue.  Basically, this is DC reviving the old "Earth 2" concept, but doing it in a completely new way.  We get introduced to the Golden Age Green Lantern and Flash, but they're not a whole lot like the versions that we've known for some time now.  Since I was never that big of a fan of the Golden Age heroes, I say why not?  They could just keep doing the same thing or try something new, and if this doesn't pan out, then this Earth can get destroyed and we'll find some other Earth that's more to the liking of the fans.

Comics Roundup for 4/25/12

The Secret Service #1 - This is the first issue of the new Mark Millar "Millarworld" series, with Dave Gibbons handling art.  Gotta say that I dug this one just as much as the other series that Mr. Millar has done.  This has easily been one of the most intriguing opening sequences for a comic that I've seen in a long time.  Did they need to get Mark Hamill's permission?

Super Crooks #2 - My only complain about Mark Millar's books?  I pretty much wind up saying the same thing about every issue that comes out.  Once again, we've got some interesting characters and an issue that adds enough story/raises the stakes so you want to come back for another.  I really feel like I can't go wrong with his stuff.

Star Wars:  Crimson Empire III #6 (of 6) - This was pretty good, but I wish that I had read the entire series in one sitting, as I kinda forgot who some of the characters were.  Anyway, since I recently re-read the first two miniseries leading up to this one, and found myself really enjoying them, I have no doubt that the same will eventually happen for this one.

Aquaman #8 - Another good issue, and not much to say other than that I like how Geoff Johns is weaving a complex mythology around the character that doesn't feel like he's just re-doing what he did for Green Lantern.

Wolverine #305 - This issue was entertaining enough, but I didn't like it enough to keep getting the series now that it has a new writer.  I think this last run of the title is the longest time in which I've ever gotten it.  Even though I really like the character, I just don't find myself buying his comic all that often - perhaps he just works better when he plays off of other characters.

Winter Soldier #4 - Somehow I missed this one when it first hit the stands.  I recently re-read the first three issues, and I was excited to get this one.  This is fun stuff, and a must-read for anybody who was on board for Brubaker's Winter Soldier stories over in Captain America.

The New Avengers #25 - We don't get a whole lot of the New Avengers in this issue, but we do get an expansion of the whole Iron Fist universe as it ties into the whole AvX thing that's going on.  Hopefully it will have a major impact on the main story over in Avengers Versus X-Men.

Batman:  The Dark Knight #8 - We have a new writer, and while this was okay, I think that I'll be dropping this one.  I'm sure that between Batman, Batman and Robin and the upcoming Batman:  Incorporated, I should be getting enough of a bat-fix to get me by.

Daredevil #11 - A satisfying conclusion to a pretty good crossover story.  Everybody loves this book - what else can I add to that?

The Twelve #12 - Oooh boy, now I gotta sit down and read this series!  Looking forward to it.

Comics Roundup for 4/18/12

The Avengers #25 - This is an AvX tie-in?  Could have fooled me - with the exception of the last few pages.  Oh well, it was still a good issue.  Even better, Walt Simonson drew it, and the artwork is looking pretty darned good.  His work is as dynamic and expressive as ever.  I wasn't always a fan, but he's grown on me.

The Punisher #10 - I just picked this one up as it ties into Avenging Spider-Man and Daredevil.  I'm glad that I did though, as it was a pretty solid read.  I'm thinking that I might want to pick up the first trade paperback of this series when it comes out, even though I usually can't seem to get into Greg Rucka's writing.

Wolverine and the X-Men #9 - Now this one actually felt like more of a tie-in with AvX, and a good thing too, considering that Wolverine is easily one of the most pivotal characters in this whole storyline.  I'm still pretty iffy about Chris Bachalo's work.  It looks nice, but it's a bit hard to follow at times.  I liked it when his style was a bit more restrained.

Justice League #8 - This was a fairly fun issue, and even though I prefer the pre-New 52 look of Green Arrow, it was nice to see him get involved with the team in a way that didn't feel like a retread of something that I've read before.  The artwork was pretty good too, but I'm pretty excited that Jim Lee is going to be drawing some more issues.

Wonder Woman #8 - Another awesome issue.  Apparently a lot of fanboys on the interwebs are mad about some of the changes that Brian Azarello has brought to the character and her mythology.  Sure, he's doing some pretty radical stuff, but the heart of the character seems to be the same as far as I can tell, and what's more important, this series is one hell of a compelling read.  With a slight hiccup for a couple of issues, this is probably one of my favorite titles right now, and I never thought I'd say that about a Wonder Woman comic.

Batman #8 - Speaking of favorites, this one was pretty damned good as well.  I've probably said this before, but it's really cool to see what Greg Capullo can do while he's working with a talented writer.  Anyway, this issue is pretty much all-action, and while that can sometimes be wearisome, I found it to be a quick and engrossing read.  I'm digging this whole "Court of Owls" storyline, and I'm eager to see how it affects the other bat-books that I'm reading.

Avengers Versus X-Men #2 - Good stuff here.  The story moved forward nicely, and the stakes have been raised.  I'm eagerly awaiting the next issue.

The Amazing Spider-Man #684 - To think Spider-Man once beat The Sandman with a vacuum cleaner.  Anyway, this was, yet again, another fun read.  Also, it was cool to see Spidey defeat The Sandman in a way that we've never seen before - and a way that makes sense.

Comics Roundup for 4/11/12

Batwoman #8 - The art has definitely taken a dive, but since JH Williams III is coming back, and the story is still pretty decent, I'll stick around.  The best bits are the interactions between Batwoman and Chase, as it certainly creates an interesting dynamic.

Wolverine #304 - This was a decent sendoff for outgoing writer Jason Aaron.  I think I'll get the next issue at the very least to see how the new writer is doing, but otherwise I might have to stick with Wolverine and the X-Men for my Aaron/Wolverine fix.

Avenging Spider-Man #6 - We have guest writers this issue as it crosses over into Daredevil and Punisher. Considering that I get the former anyway, I might as well buy the one issue of the latter title so I can get the full story.  Honestly, it seems to be tying into DD's overall story more than anything, but that's fine with me.

Batgirl #8 - Another consistently good read with this one, and it's nice to see Barbara's psycho brother, James, come back into the picture.  Scott Snyder sure did some interesting stuff with him; let's hope that the new story won't feel too much like a retread.  (And honestly, he's probably a better villain for her than for Batman - there's definitely more at stake with this conflict.)

The New Avengers #24 - I guess we're just getting a bunch of crossover stuff with the Avengers titles until this Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover wraps up.  That's fine, as I'm enjoying this story so far, and this issue did a pretty good job of filling in some blanks from the main story.

Batman and Robin #8 - Not much to say other than that this was another fully enjoyable issue.  While I think that overall I might like Scott Snyder's Batman a bit better than this title, I have an easier time remembering what happened from issue to issue with this one.  (Perhaps it's because Snyder's story is so intricate.  Still, this reminds me of Chuck Dixon's writing when he was doing great stuff on Robin and Nightwing.)

Green Lantern #8 - Same problem here - another good issue in a series that's been providing me with some pretty solid entertainment for several years now.  Also, we get a bit more with the Indigo Lanterns, and that's been a long time coming.

Avengers Assemble #2 - This was definitely a more solid read than the debut issue, and it's pretty clear that a new reader could easily follow along with what's happening - which I think is what the point of it is since it just happens to have an Avengers lineup that corresponds with the one that's in the upcoming movie.

Lord of the Jungle #3 - I'm enjoying this far more than I thought I would, as I kinda figured I'd check out the first issue and then pretty much that would be the end of it.  I've never read the original Tarzan novels, but from what I understand this is an attempt to do something that's pretty true to the source material while removing some of the obvious Ethnocentrism/racism from the original story.  The artwork by Roberto Castro is serviceable.  There are some really great moments with his work, but there are some clunky pictures in there as well.  I have a feeling that he's a genuine talent who needs to hone his craft a little bit more.  By then, Marvel or DC will no doubt snatch him up.

Comics Roundup for 4/4/12

Wolverine and the X-Men #8 - For some reason, I thought that this would be the tie-in to Avengers Versus X-Men, but it wasn't.  Oh well.  This one saw the return of Sabertooth, and in this one he was giving grief to Beast instead of Wolverine.  I like Chris Bachalo's pencils for the most part, but sometimes his layouts can be a bit confusing.  I didn't exactly get how Beast finally beat Sabertooth.  I suppose I could if I felt like studying the panels, but you shouldn't have to do that.  Anyway, a decent issue, and I'm looking forward to next month's tie-in.

Daredevil #10.1 - A student of mine once pointed out that I didn't write a whole lot on his A paper.  I told him that's because when an essay is good, there's not much to say about it other than it was good.  That's kind of how I'm feeling with this series.  And if you're looking for more detailed praise, I'm sure you can find plenty of it online, as this title seems to be the critical darling lately.

Fatale #4 - I'm going to wait for a few more issues before I sit down to read this one.

Avengers Versus X-Men #1 - Am I the only fan who doesn't whine about "event fatigue"?  Sure, I'll criticize them when they're not done very well, but so long as I'm getting my money's worth, I'm good with them.  This was a pretty entertaining read, and even though it's just the beginning and didn't get too in-depth, it certainly set up enough interesting ideas to keep me reading.

The Amazing Spider-Man #683 - Spidey tries to be all Odysseus-like and plan five steps ahead.  It works a bit, but Doc Ock seems to be about seven steps ahead of that.  Anyway, much like with Daredevil, there just isn't much to say when I'm enjoying a series as much as this one.

Action Comics #8 - And...I'm done.  While the last issue seemed to be a bit more interesting, I have officially lost interest in this "New 52" title.  And to think that this was the one that I had the highest hopes for.  Oh well.  I guess part of it has to do with the fact that Geoff Johns did a far more interesting Braniac story just a few years ago.  Another part is that they can't seem to get Rags Morales to draw an entire issue himself, so the artwork is totally uneven.  Well, can't say I didn't give this one a proper chance.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Volume 2 - I picked up the first volume in hardcover some time ago, and by the time I finally finished reading it, I was ready for the second one.  Well, guess what?  It was going for over a hundred bucks!  I figured that I'd just have to forget about it until I learned that they were going to do all four volumes in trade paperback, so that's why I picked up this one and plan to get the others.  Plus, the $30 price tag for the softcover is much easier on the wallet than the $50 tag on the hardcovers.  What can I say about Jack Kirby that hasn't already been said?  The guy was a mad genius.  Not all of his ideas are good, and not all of his stories are good.  In fact, sometimes his artwork is downright awkward looking.  But one thing it absolutely NEVER is, is boring.  The guy threw every idea he had down on to the page, and most of them were winners.

Comics Roundup for 3/28/12

Avengers Vs. X-Men #0 - I've been thinking about this crossover lately, and I'm thinking that it's a pretty good idea for one - even though it seems a little too obvious.  Basically, this is something that has potentially been a long time coming, and there certainly is potential for some interesting internal conflicts among the various characters - at least just as much as there was with Civil War.  Anyway, this non-issue for the series was a pretty good read, and I'm hoping that the main series will follow up on the ideas presented in this issue.

Batman:  The Dark Knight #7 - While an entertaining read, this was a bit of a waste of the use of Bane.  He's the type of character who should not just simply be defeated in a bout of fisticuffs.  Also, it's lame to have to tell the reader that Bane is a genius.  Let's see him do some genius stuff, eh?

Daredevil #10 - Not much to say about this other than it's another solid installment of a great series.

Aquaman #7 - Looks like Geoff Johns is creating as rich of a mythology for Aquaman as he did for Green Lantern.  Makes sense considering you have a guy who's the ruler of an underwater kingdom but also has spent much of his life on the surface.

The Twelve #11 - One more issue and I'll actually sit down to read this series in its entirety.

The Avengers #24.1 - The Vision has been back for a while now, but it's good to see this special issue devoted to him dealing with his return.  I must admit that I now believe that an android can cry.

Avenging Spider-Man #5 - I really wish that I didn't like every issue of this series so much, as I'd love to dismiss it as nothing more than shelf-filler.  However, I was entertained yet again with this team-up with Spider-Man and Captain America.

The New Avengers #23 - I don't know much about Skaar, son of the Hulk, but he seems like a pretty redundant character to me.  With that said, I still enjoyed this issue, as everybody loves a good double-cross.

Rachel Rising - Volume 1 - I passed up the first issue of Terry Moore's new series, as I figured it would probably read better in collected volumes.  Well, I can't really compare the two, but this is one hell of a first volume for an ongoing series.  Terry Moore's first series was a drama that dabbled in the crime genre.  The last one was science fiction.  This one's horror.  While it doesn't feel like a retread of other stuff I've read or seen, it certainly does one thing right - leave me with some unsettling images.

Comics Roundup for 3/21/12

Gettin' tired - gotta make these quick:


Batman #7 - The plot thickens in the story of the Court of Owls.  This book is doing well, and it deserves to do so.  It's nice to see what Greg Capullo can do when he's teamed with a good writer.

Justice League #7 - This was a decent issue.  I don't think that Gene Ha is a good choice for this title though, even though I've really liked him on other things.

Wolverine #303 - A good issue, but it would have been nice to have one art team on the whole story.

Wonder Woman #7 - After being a bit disappointed with the last two issues, this has once again risen to one of my favorite titles.  Can it be that the artist, Cliff Chiang makes that big of a difference?  I don't know, but it sure doesn't hurt to have him back after a couple of fill-ins.

Kick Ass 2 #7 - It was pretty tough to have a satisfying end to this series, but Mark Millar did a pretty good job of it, and he's definitely setting things up for more.  I will say yet again that I don't know if I'd want to see this made into a movie, as much as I've enjoyed the comic.

The Amazing Spider-Man #682 - Yet another solid installment, and the start of something big.  I'm glad that Dan Slott is doing regular "big" stories for Spidey.  That sort of a thing is normally reserved for team books - but why not Spider-Man?

Super Crooks #1 - Another Mark Millar book.  I've liked the rest, and this one is pretty good so far as well.  Basically you have a bunch of crooks who head out of the country, since the U.S. has too many damned superheroes who always thwart them.  I expect some twists and turns in coming installments, as that concept can only be enough to get the ball rolling.

Comics Roundup for 3/14/12

Just moved into a new place, so I didn't have time for last week's Roundup.  Here's what I got in the past two weeks:

Fatale #3 - Honestly?  I haven't read it. I can't remember what happened in the past two issues.  I'm probably going to let it build up to a few issues before I sit down and give this series a go.  As I've said before, this creative team has produced some of my favorite comics in recent memory, so I'm willing to take that chance.

Winter Soldier #3 - I liked the first two issues well enough, but this one is a bit more like it.  The only bad thing about it is that once again I'm reminded of how great a villain Doctor Doom is, and thusly how bad they screwed him up in those Fantastic Four movies.

Wolverine #302 - Speaking of "that's more like it", this one is just that.  I was losting interest during the past two issues, but this has renewed my interest in the series.

Action Comics #7 - And yet another pleasant surprise.  This was potentially going to be my last issue, but I'm interested yet again.  They just need a more consistent art team on this title, I think.

The Amazing Spider-Man #681 - I haven't checked out the Spider-Man message boards on Comic Book Resources in some time, and I'm curious as to whether everybody is hating on this title as much as they always seemed to be in the past.  For my money, this is one of the most consistently entertaining titles out there.

Crimson Empire III #5 (of 6) - I probably oughtta reread this entire series once the last issue comes out, as I'm forgetting a bit here and there.  Still, it was entertaining, and it's good to see them wrapping up this series after so long of a break.

Wolverine and the X-Men #7 - Another fun issue with some madcap hijinks.  This is becoming one of my favorite series.

Batwoman #7 - The artwork isn't nearly as good, but the story is still interesting.  I also like how this has a pretty distinct feel from the other Bat-related books.  It doesn't feel like a "Let's see if we can sell more comics with another Bat-character" type of a deal.

Batgirl #7 - Another fun installment of a great series.  And I'm glad that Barbara's former condition is still a factor in the story without it feeling like I'm being beaten over the head with it.

Batman and Robin #7 - It was pretty hard to top the last issue, and this doesn't quite pull that off.  Still, it's pretty damned good -with the exception of the cheesy line uttered by Damien Wayne on the last page.

Avengers Assemble #1 - Nothing too special to see here.  It's a pretty fun read, but I'm once again guessing that it will read better as a short chapter of a longer story.

Captain America #9 - This series just keeps getting better and better.  It's a shame that Alan Davis isn't sticking around though, but it looks like they have a good artist lined up to take his place on the next story arc.

Green Lantern #7 - Pretty good, as usual.  Plus, I'm glad to see that we're finally going to be learning a bit more about the Indigo Lanterns.

The Avengers #24 - Once again, Norman Osborne is a victim of his own hubris.  This was a pretty satisfying issue.

Comics Roundup for 2/29/12

Justice League #6 - I was worried at the end of the last issue that the conclusion to this one would feel a bit too rushed.  Well, it did, but not in too egregious of a way.  This whole opening arc was basically just a setup for the entire series, and it certainly didn't feel like the threat of Darkseid was completely dealt with.  It was also a bit too gratuitous with the splash pages, but overall this has been a fun series so far.

The Amazing Spider-Man #680 - A reunion with the Human Torch, who's back a bit sooner than I would have thought.  Anyway, nothing special here, but this series at its worst is always entertaining.

The New Avengers #22 & The Avengers #23 - I group these two together because they're basically dealing with the same storyline - the return of Norman Osborn.  I enjoyed the two of these more than the last few issues.  I'm thinking that maybe I just need to go back and reread this particular storyline.  A lot of Brian Bendis's stories work better that way.  I'll wait until it all concludes.

Lord of the Jungle #2 - It wasn't too busy of a week, so I figured I'd check out the second issue.  Not bad.  I'm familiar with the basic Tarzan story, so I'm curious as to when this is going to add and/or do something new with it.  I'll probably check out the next issue at least.

The Twelve #10 - As I stated with the last issue, I'm waiting for this series to finish before I read it all.  Also, like I said, I really enjoyed the first eight issues, so I'm hoping that the rest of the series won't disappoint.

Comics Roundup for 2/22/12

The Flash #6 - I still think that the biggest draw to this series is the art, but there's still a pretty fun story going on here.  Also, there are a lot of big ideas being put into place, and that's the sort of story that fits The Flash the best.

I, Vampire #6 - Another series where the art is the draw, but the story is still pretty good.  Still, I'm a bit worried as it's crossing over into Justice League Dark, a title which I bought the first issue but lost interest less than halfway through it.  I'm really not looking to pick up other comics as part of a crossover.  So long as the story is still self-contained enough in this title for me to follow it, I'll get the next issue.

Wolverine and the X-Men #6 - I may have mentioned this before, but this series is a lot more wacky and light-hearted than what I would have expected from an X-Men series that has Wolverine in the title.  I would have anticipated a darker, more violent series.  However, it's a fun series that still keeps true to the character.

Batman:  The Dark Knight #6 - Nothing special, but an entertaining read.  I like the idea of a Bat title that regularly features other members of the DC Universe, and it was good to see Superman and The Flash in this one.  Also, Bane is back.  I'm not sure how the new continuity affects what happened before with him though, but he seems pretty intent on breaking Batman's back.

Aquaman #6 - Not as good as last issue, but still pretty good nonetheless.  We have a guest artist who does a decent job (probably because series regular Ivan Reis does breakdowns) and a story that focuses on "Don't Call me Aquawoman" Mera.  Looks like there's more to her than we might have expected.  I don't know if it's building on older stories or not though, but one way or another, I'm interested in seeing where this all goes.

Comics Roundup for 2/15/12

I think that the time has come again to start dropping some titles.  I passed up Uncanny X-Men this week, even though the fourth issue was one of my favorite single issues in a while.  I also passed that one Star Wars  series that I bought the zero issue of.  Basically, the problem is that I'm not remembering what the heck happened in the previous issues of a lot of these, and it's starting to feel like a chore to read some of them.  Anyway, let's start with the stuff I really liked a lot and definitely won't be dropping:

The Amazing Spider-Man #679.1 - Even though the point of these "point one" issues is a bit beyond me, I guess that they were successful enough to do again.  Anyway, I just consider this to be another issue of the series, and it was a pretty good one at that.  It stands well as its own story, and it sets up things to come.  I guess the whole thing with The Lizard never was completely resolved, so it'll be interesting where Dan Slott takes that.

Batman #6 - I like Scott Snyder's story, and it'll be interesting to see it expand into the other Batman titles.  What really has me on this title though is Greg Capullo's artwork.  The splash page alone was pretty downright creepy, and this issue got to the heart of all good Batman stories - he's the man who doesn't give up, and just when you think you've beaten him, he's already figured out how to beat YOU.

Avenging Spider-Man #3 - This story felt entirely inconsequential, just like the last story arc.  This time, it was a team-up with Hawkeye.  But I'll be damned if I wasn't entertained with the story.  Maybe what works so well is the fact that it doesn't have to tie itself closely to continuity.  Zeb Wells can just tell a story and leave it at that.  I'd actually say that any fan of Hawkeye should definitely check this one out.

Daredevil #9 - Easily one of the best covers in some time on this one.  The story was pretty good as well, just as this whole series has been pretty solid.  I think that I'd enjoy it even more if I didn't have so many other storylines I'm trying to keep track of.  Oh, the cliffhanger was pretty intriguing as well.

Winter Soldier #2 - I liked this.  Didn't love it.  I'm worried that Bucky might be more interesting in context of Captain America's world though.  I'll get at least a few more issues though, as I feel pretty heavily invested in him considering how important he's been in so many of my favorite comics over the past few years.

Wonder Woman #6 - Meh.  Maybe it was the hit-or-miss fill-in art of Tony Akins, but this one failed to get my interest.  Still, the first four issues of this series have been some of my favorite superhero comics in some time, so I'm not quite willing to call it quits just yet.

The Avengers #22 and The New Avengers #21 - Both of these deal with the return of Norman Osborn, and I'm just not getting into this story very much.  Still, just like Brubaker's Bucky stories, many of my favorite comics over the past few years have been the Avengers stories of Brian Michael Bendis.  I hear that he's wrapping up his work on these titles soon.  Maybe it's time for some new blood in here.  I'll keep reading through the end of the story, but I just don't feel that these are as big on my "must read" list as they used to be.

Wolverine #301 - I just wasn't into this one at all.  This has been a good series for the past year and a half, but these last two issues have left me pretty cold.  I'm down with one more, and then that's it.

Who knows?  Maybe it's just a bad week.