Trip Report, Day Four

(Wednesday, July 19, 2006)

Currently I Am In: Minot, North Dakota

Ugh. Internet access problems. My wireless card is fried, and there’s no local dial up access number here. Which is why things didn’t get posted last night. It may be a few days before I can post on my blog. There’s a Best Buy down the street from this hotel, so maybe I’ll go in and buy a new WiFi card.

*****

Currently I Am In: Williston, North Dakota

Ended up not buying one. I was so concerned about getting things together and keeping the kids from killing one another that I completely forgot about it and drove right past the Best Buy. And I don’t think there’s one in this town, although chances are there’s someplace in this town where I can pick up a WiFi card. But perhaps I’ll just wait until I get to the Glacier National Park area before contemplating that. So for the moment, probably no updates to the blog until I can get to someplace with decent access.

Oh, and another thing. Images may be few for the time being. Right now I’m using the camera feature on my cellphone. However, I apparently didn’t pack the hot sync cable, so I can’t download the pictures to my laptop. I was planning on getting around that by emailing them to myself from off the phone, but I’ve now discovered that Sprint’s claim of coast to coast internet access for my cell doesn’t seem to apply to western North Dakota. I can call in and out, but no text messaging, no picture mail, no internet access. Blah. Looks like Glacier is going to be my next, best option. There’s a good chance I’ll post the report, and then at some later time post the images.

And in speaking of items not packed, I discovered today that I left all my Jazz CDs at home. I’ve got a bunch of the Classical CDs I’d intended to bring with me, so I’m not entirely without my music. But it does make things annoying.

*****

Touristy things today.

First off, we headed south from Minot to Washburn, ND and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. This is a museum to commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark/Corp of Discovery expedition of 1802-1806. It basically offered an overview of the expedition, of the world of the Native Americans at the time, and of early 19th Century frontier life in general. It’s a nice museum, but nearly everything in it are reproductions and aren’t even from the time period in question. They have only one actual artifact from the expedition, and it’s a small piece of one of the books that were brought along by one of the less well known expedition members. In that view, the museum is somewhat disappointing. Still, they provide a decent amount of introductory information and some interesting exhibits. The most impressive of the latter is a dug out canoe toward the back of the exhibit area.



This canoe was carved out of one single log, using only the kind of tools people at the time had. The canoe shown here is about the size of the ones Lewis and Clark used.

Outside, the boys encountered some horses from the horsefarm next door. They desperately wanted to ride them, but for obvious reasons that wasn't going to happen.



After the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, we headed a couple miles over to Fort Mandan State Historical Site. This is a reproduction of the original fort that the Corp of Discovery erected for the winter of 1803/04. Unfortunately, it is not on the site of the original fort; that site is about ten miles downstream, and sadly is now underwater due to the Garrison Dam. This version of the fort was constructed in the 1970s based on the original plans, and is said to be “98% Accurate” (The main discrepancy is that the walls are apparently three feet too short). The boys loved this place, and wanted to climb everything. They also pestered the tour guide to let them in some of the rooms, which the tour guide happily obliged.


The path to Fort Mandan.


Missouri River from Fort Mandan.

Next up was the site of Fort Clark State Historical Site, which was nearby. Not much there except an open field, a path, and some markers. This was a Fur Trading Post in the middle of the 19th Century, adjacent to one of the larger Mandan settlements. It is notable in history because it was from here that a smallpox epidemic erupted in the early 1830s, brought by the steamboat St. Peter. This epidemic wiped out about 90% of the Mandans in very short order, and eventually led to the abandonment of the site.


(NOTE: I could have sworn I took more pictures than this of the site, but this is all I could find on my camera.)

After that, we visited Knife River Indian Villages National Historical Site. This was the site of one of the largest Native American settlements west of the Mississippi; by some estimates, as many as 25,000 people lived there or in close proximity around the year 1800, making it larger than most American cities at the time. On the site is a reproduction of an Earth House, one of the wood and dirt structures the Mandans used to live in, about 20 per structure. Nearby is a field filled with circular middens outlining where such structures used to stand; at least 50 such outlines have been identified, and probably many, many more have long since been plowed over by the farmers in the area. A sad fate for what was once, for all practical purposes, a huge city.


Earth House interior.


Site of Mandan village. Some 50 middens (structure remains) are present in this field.

It should be noted that all four of the historical sites listed above are within a few miles of each other. One could very easily spend an afternoon (like we did) visiting all four with a minimum amount of travel in between. Indeed, we could have extended the historical sightseeing even more by visiting some the sites to some of the other Native American settlements in the area, but instead we elected to get back on the road and push west.

It took us about an hour from Knife River Indian Villages, but after a long drive on ND Rt. 200 and a shorter drive up a narrow dirt road, we eventually arrived at the Killdeer Battlefield Historical Site. Not much there except a memorial, a flag, and the gravestones of two US Cavalry soldiers who died there. Killdeer was one of those battles that they don’t like to talk about in school. Basically, the U.S. Cavalry came in and attacked a group of Sioux camped there, obstensibly to retaliate for a previous Sioux attack. However, the group they attacked had nothing to do with that previous attack, in fact did try to surrender, but were slaughtered anyway. Among the Sioux to escape the massacre was Sitting Bull; 12 years later, he would annihilate Gen. Custer and the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn.


Killdeer Battlefield site.


Soldiers graves at Killdeer.

We headed back to civilization (or what passed for it in North Dakota), and then headed back north toward U.S. Route 2.

I had originally intended to try to drop by Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but by the time we arrived in the area of the North Unit it was starting to get late and the boys were eager to find someplace for us to crash. So, we ended up just driving past the park entrance, and continued on toward Williston, ND. Got a hotel there, and are now staying the night.

Trip Report, Day Three

(Tuesday, July 18, 2006)

Currently I Am In: Minot, ND.

Well, mixed results on the tent. The boys slept well, but I didn’t. Part of it was just nervous energy. I wanted to sleep, but couldn’t get myself to. The floor probably didn’t help, either. It was only after I decided it was time to go to bed that I discovered there were some uncomfortable rocks beneath where we’d pitched. And they just happened to be directly underneath where I was supposed to sleep. Probably wouldn’t have made much difference, though; even with the blanket and sleeping bag underneath, the floor was just too hard for me to get any real comfort. Sigh. Time was, I could have gone to sleep anywhere - floor of a tent, floor of a cave, a smoothed area on exposed rock - no problem. But now, my back protests anytime I try. I hate getting old. But the boys did have a good time, and as I said, they at least slept well. Next time I try this, I guess I’ll have to cheat and use an air mattress.

Last night as it was getting dark, Martin kept busying himself by running back and forth between our campsite and the gravel path. In the morning, I discovered what it was he had been doing:



He said it was a rock path, to help people find the way to our camp. Don’t you just love six year olds?

Anyway, we packed up and left the camp ground. I was hoping to go into Bimidji that day and at least get a picture of Martin and Liam standing in front of the silly Paul Bunyan statue, but at the last moment I just decided to skip it. Can’t really say why, but I just decided to press ahead rather than go back So instead, we headed west on U.S. 2.

When we started out at Bimidji, the land was predominantly green and wooded. Plant life was abundant. But as you push west, the land changes. The green gives way to tan and beige. The trees start to disappear, and become generally smaller in stature. The spaces begin to open up; the horizon starts to become visible. And the dirt starts to take on a dusty, drier, more granular quality. Welcome to the High Plains of the United States, the beginning of The West. And more specifically, welcome to the Dakota Territory. And all of this within the space of about a hundred miles.

About 20 miles outside of Bimidji, the forest starts to give way to increasingly more farmland. Corn and wheat, by the look of things. But soon even that gives way, and before long the predominant crop seems to be cylindrical bales of hay. That’s a sure sign you’re entering cattle country, where livestock is the predominant crop.

We entered North Dakota at Grand Forks, but didn’t see much of the town. Instead, we drove through and continued west. I was rather disappointed to find that US 2 doesn’t seem to go through many towns anymore. Instead, it has in recent years been laid to go around even the smallest of gatherings. What used to be Route 2 is now, more often than not, just another street in town, with the highway itself bypassing a mile or so away. I guess someone has determined that, for traffic control purposes, its better to have the highway go around the towns so people don’t have to slow down. *sigh* But I <i>like</i> slowing down and going through the small towns.

Still, I think this measure is eventually going to backfire on them. Why? Well, one of the things that has really piqued my interest were the number of towns in northern North Dakota that looked like they have had a significant amount of new construction recently. At Rugby, new neighborhoods had gone up, with brand new homes and streets that look only recently paved. At Devil’s Lake, I didn’t see a single building that looked more than 10 years old (I’m sure they were there, I just didn’t see one), and the one busy intersection I saw reminded me quite heavily of any slice of suburbia you’re likely to find, complete with numerous fast food joints and chain stores. Similar observations can be made up and down the entire length of US 2 between Grand Forks and Minot: towns are growing, new construction is going up, and with it new businesses to serve those new customers.

And where are these new businesses setting up shop? Why, right on Route 2 outside of town, and not in the “main street business districts” that Route 2 used to go through. They set up shop along the highway because they know that’s where the customers are more likely to pass now. Only boring people like me think of taking the “old Route 2" turn-offs and actually drive through the town - most everyone else just breezes by doing 70. So with new businesses setting up, the center of activity for the towns have started to shift away from the old business districts, and move “outside” where the main road has now been laid. And once those business start to set up there, you can bet other construction will follow - more businesses, new homes, etc. So in a generation or two, I’ll bet that many of those towns will have grown to encompass the areas adjacent the highway. The day will come when Route 2 is once more going smack dab, which will undoubtably necessitate yet another round of highway projects to once more bypass.

Anyway, that’s my observation of the day.

After Grand Forks, the land starts to become hilly. In truth, I don’t think its any more hilly than Northern Wisconsin. But the difference is, Northern Wisconsin is covered with trees and other wildlife. North Dakota is not, and that makes the topography much more noticeable. The Wide Open Spaces are becoming even more Wide Open, with hardly anything more than tons of the ubiquitous hay rolls and the occasional farm house to break things up.


U.S. Route 2, about fifteen miles west of Devil's Lake, North Dakota

Pulled into Minot around 4:00pm, found a room, got pizza for the kids, and am preparing to crash. Got to make up for the sleep I didn’t get last night.

Trip Report, Day Two

(Monday, July 17, 2006)

Currently I Am In: Bimidji, MN.

We spent the day driving. Yeah, big surprise there.

Started the day by visiting an antiques mall, waved good-bye to Interstate 35, then proceeded “inland”. Drove around a rather large lake (Mille Lacs), had lunch in Garrison, MN, drove deeper into the northern forests of Minnesota, finally hit U.S. 2 in the town of Grand Rapids, MN - our principal route for the next several days - then headed west to Bimidji, MN, where we got a campsite at a KOA campground for the night. In a nutshell, that was the day.

I like small towns. Especially old ones. I like the way they look, the way they feel. I like it when they try to preserve as much of their history as they can, maintaining and preserving their older buildings instead of tearing them down for the faux suburbia look. I don’t know if I could live in one for any length of time, but I can visit, and occasionally take a stroll through them. This trip, with impatient kids in tow, I’m more likely to drive through them than actually take the time to explore. But that’s one of the reasons why I’m avoiding the interstate and taking the “backroads”.

Some pictures for today:

Garrison, MN. On the shores of the Mille Lacs. Martin pointed to this statue and said, “Oh! They have FISH here!”



Downtown Aitkin, MN. Wanted to explore here a little more, but boys were instant about moving on.



Martin and Liam at Big Sandy Lake, in the Savanna State Forest. We were passing by, and the boys wanted to get out for a good look.



Panoramic view of Big Sandy Lake. Series of shots taken from the rest area along Minnesota 65, Photoshopped together to form a panorama. You'll be seeing a lot of these kind of panorama scenes in the coming days.



The Mississippi River at Grand Rapids, MN. Image taken from my car whilst stopped for a red light. Not much, is it? You'd never think something barely more than a creek would amount to much.



I haven’t been camping in about 15 years. My wife has never been interested in it (her idea of “roughing it” is a hotel room without television), so I just haven’t really had the chance. But since she’s not on this trip (she’s got a trial to prepare for), and since the boys have been asking about going camping for some time, I thought we’d give it a try this time around. So, here is the result of this endeavor:



Don’t know how this is going to go tonight. We’ve got sleeping bags and an extra blanket. But so far, the boys are loving it. Oh well, we’ll see how this goes.

General Note

As a lot of you know, I'm back from my vacation. Sorry for dropping off the face of the world, but I ended up having internet connection
difficulties while on the road, difficulties which prevented me from
posting regularly. I did keep a somewhat rambling log on my laptop,
though. And over the next few days I hope to post it, along with
pictures. Please bear with me. And intertwined with all of this will
be some comics updates and various things of interest. Sit tight, and
please be patient; I'm working as fast as I can on this.

Trip Report, Day One

Currently I Am In: Hinckley, MN

Welcome to the most more boring trip report that you are ever likely to read. Or not read, as the case may be.

Well, the first day of this trip is behind us. Not much to really say, as we spend the whole day driving. About the only real stops we did were for bathroom breaks, gas fill ups, and lunch. Mostly, I just wanted to get us as far as possible in one day, so we can then spend the rest of the week taking a leisurely drive across to Glacier.

Interstate 94 through western Wisconsin is actually not a bad drive. The scenery is much more interesting than most of the midwest - forested hills and ridges, valleys, even small canyons. All in all, its one of the more pleasant drives one can have if they must use the Interstate. But this will be the only day we’ll be doing that, at least not until toward the end of this trip. Looking forward to the chance to get off the main roads.

Right now we’re in the town of Hinckley, Minnesota. It’s roughly halfway between Minneapolis and Duluth, along Interstate 35. Don’t know much about the place except that it had a hotel that wasn’t sold out. Oh yes, and it has an Indian Casino of some kind. Unforseen Consequences department: We are now far enough north that even at 9:30 PM, there’s still a significant amount of light outside. Just try to tell a pair of hyper-active 6-year-old twin boys that its time to go to bed, and explaining that it doesn’t matter how light it was outside, it really was passed their bed time.

Tomorrow we should end up in Bimidji, Minnesota. Home of Paul Bunyan, source of the Mississippi, and reputed Curling Capital of the United States. We may spend our first night in a tent tomorrow, depending on how the weather is. If that’s the case, then chances are there won’t be a report posted. But if the weather isn’t good, then we’ll probably get a motel room, in which case I’ll post something. Hopefully our first pictures will up then, too.

That’s it for today. Hopefully a more substantial post next time.

We're Off!

Currently I Am In: Chicago, IL

7:58 AM CDT, 16 July, 2006.  We're on our way.

Trip Start Delay

Currently I Am In: Chicago, IL

Blah.

Last minute hitch.  Seems my wife was under the impression I'd be leaving this evening, not this morning.  She already made plans for this afternoon, plans that were to include the kids.  So, it looks like I'm going to be leaving tomorrow rather than today.  No big deal, it just means I add an extra day at the end.  :)

It does mean I have to abandon one of the side trips I'd planned.  I was planning on taking a swing by Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, but since we have to be in West Glacier, MT on July 21, a side trip to Voyageurs with one day less would have put too much of a crimp on the schedule.  I'm planning on taking US 2 across Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana and avoid the Interstate.  The good part of that plan is that we get a better look at the scenary and drive through a number of quaint, small towns (which I rather enjoy).  Bad part of that plan is, it takes a lot longer to go the same distance than it does on the Interstate.

Anyway, all this means is that I get an extra day to decompress after the hectic pace I've had these last few weeks.  Perhaps I can even get caught up on my comics....

Beast Boy Sighting!

Not exactly a BB/RCBW, but here's a little tidbit.

It seems Gar is going to be at the DCU version of SDCC, namely the Sub Diego Comic Con. From DC's 52 - The Website comes this rundown of events at the convention:

Other highlights for the weekend include appearances by former "Space Trek 2099" star Garfield Logan and actor-director Fletcher Carlin, promoting this summer's "Shaolin Hustler."

Tehehehe.

I guess I'm easily amused.

Getting Ready

Currently I am in: Chicago, IL

Well, I'm almost ready for this here trip out west.  Greatly looking forward to it.  Things have been way too hectic around here, and I really need the time away.  I'm planning on spending tomorrow (Thursday) getting the last of my work done, then spend tomorrow evening and all day Friday getting packed and ready.  The three of us (my two sons, Martin and Liam, and I) will probably be leaving early Saturday morning.  The plan will be to spend the first day driving all day, just to get it out of the way.  After that, we'll be spending a liesurely drive through Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana for about a week until we arrive in the neighborhood of Glacier National Park, at which point we will have hotel rooms avialable to us for about a week.  After that, a slightly quicker drive back home.  All In all, I'm really looking forward to it.

Hopefully I will be keeping a running commentary of our trip on this blog.  So keep watching this space.  Which is why this little entry is here, because I'm checking to make sure the wireless card in my laptop is working properly and I can now send email from it.  If you are reading this on my blog, then that means it is.  Anyway, wish us luck.

Pluto's Moons

To show you how busy I've been, I missed this bit of news when it was first announced:

Two new moons that were discovered last year orbiting the planet Pluto were given official designations last month by the IAU. The two moons are now officially dubbed Nix and Hydra. In Greek mythology, Nix was the Goddess of the Night, and the mother to Charon the ferryman (who shuttled the dead souls over to the underworld). Hyrdra was a mythological creature that guarded the way into the underworld. Both objects join Charon as known moons of Pluto. There may actually be more orbiting the tiny planet, but we probably won't know until the New Horizons space probe arrives in the Plutonian system in 2015.



For those who care, additional information can be found here.

Pull List - Week of July 12

So what's Doug getting this week?

52 #10 - This title and Teen Titans are the only comics in the last month that I've actually made the time to read.  Still going strong.
Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Bludhaven #6 - Haven't really liked this series all that much, but its got the Titans in it, so I'll be picking it up.
Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #27
Green Arrow #64
Nightwing #122 - I'm still picking up this series more for Jason Todd than for Dick Grayson.  However, it looks like Bruce Jones' tenure on the title is about to come a premature end, and Marv Wolfman will be penning it for at least one four-issue arc.  Here's hoping Mr. Wolfman can put Nightwing and Nightwing back on track.
Superman: Infinite Crisis (TPB)

A few words

Well, some people have been wondering where I've been these last few weeks, and why I haven't been doing any updates to this blog.  The basic answer is, I've been very busy with work and family obligations, and just haven't had the time to indulge in my hobbies to any great extent.  Right now I'm about three weeks behind in my comics reading, which should tell you just how busy things have been.  I'm slowly going through my To Read pile, but its slow going as I can only squeeze them in during those few moments I have free time.

The good news is, I will very shortly be having quite a bit of free time.  The bad news is, it'll be when I'm on vacation, and hence won't have access to new comics   So for the time being, you probably won't be seeing much in the way of comics discussions on this blog.  Maybe a review or two, or if the whim strikes me, perhaps I'll indulge in an essay or something likewise.  But any discussion on current comic books will be limited, as I just won't have access to them until I return.  Thankfully, its doubtful that there will be any need for a BB/RCBW update in the next few weeks, although I suppose there's always the chance of a minor appearance in 52 or some other title.  But if one does show up, I won't be posting an update until I return.

Still, I do plan on posting to this blog all through my vacation.  I'll be taking my two boys, Martin and Liam, and we'll be heading out to Glacier National Park in Montana.  But we won't be taking the direct route, nosiree.  My hope is to avoid the Interstates for as much as possible, and stick to the less travelled roads all the way out there.  So if you want to read about our adventures on the Great Trek West '06, keep watching these pages.  Incidentally, we leave on July 15.

And to everyone else, Have A Great Summer!

The Beast Boy and Raven Comic Book Watch - Week of July 5, 2006

Teen Titans #37
Story by Geoff Johns, Pencils by Tony Daniel, Inks by Kevin Conrad.

AT LAST!!! We have an explanation. AND IT AIN’T OVER, GUYS!!!

1) First off, Brain himself confirms he is "of that persuasion".

2) The members of the Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans call Chief out on his treatment of them. Mento makes his return

3) OK, first of all, we have to take the good news with the bad. Here’s the bad: Beast Boy isn’t coming back to the Titans anytime soon, and here he explains why:

4) Now, here’s the good news. On one of the security tapes, Raven explains why she’s leaving the team.


Significant things here: 1) She calls Garfield "Gar"; up until this point, whenever she’s talked about him he has always been "Garfield". 2) She left because of an outside influence. Quite possibly she didn’t even tell Gar why, either (although chances are, Gar may have reviewed the tapes and hence may have already seen this sequence). In any case, it doesn’t sound to me like anything is over; just on pause for the moment.

5) The issue had some ‘shippiness - just not the ‘ship you were expecting.


Well, that’s going to be a real test of friendship if (and when) Conner returns...

*****

The next new issue of Teen Titans - #38 - is scheduled for August 6th release, which will be the first issue of the "Titans Around the World" story arc (which will also see the return of Raven to the team). But before that, on July 26, the latest Teen Titans trade paperback, Teen Titans: Life and Death, will be released. This is significant because it will reprint TT #29-33, among other things. TT #30, of course, is the issue with The Kiss. So if you couldn’t get the issue when it came out last December, you will soon be able to pick it up in TPB form.

Beyond Teen Titans, there are some things to keep an eye out for. First off, Beast Boy and the Doom Patrol will be making an appearance in Secret Six #4, which is scheduled to come out on August 23rd. The current OYL team of Teen Titans also continue to appear in the Battle for Bludhaven mini-series (issue #6, the final issue, will be released on July 12th), and will also be appearing in Action Comics #841 (July 26th). Gar and Raven are not likely to appear in either of those issues, but I thought I’d mention it.

Farther on the horizon, Gar and Raven are slated to appear in 52 #21, which will be coming out in September. They may show up in other issues, but right now that’s the only issue its known they will definitely be in. No word on when the Raven mini series will start, but October or November is looking likely. Beyond that there may be a Doom Patrol mini series, but that won’t materialize until early 2007 at the earliest. The bad news is, after the Secret Six crossover mentioned above, Garfield might not be showing anywhere outside of 52 for some time, possibly for the rest of the year. Grumble.

And one last thing. For those who may be interested, I’ve made a quick avatar based on the OYL image of Raven posted above:


Anyone who wants to use it, feel free.

Remember, Keep the Faith, don’t let the bashers get you down, and SUPPORT BB & RAE _ BUY THE TEEN TITANS COMIC BOOK!!

Pull List - Week of June 14

Stuff I'm getting this week:

52 #6
Checkmate #3
Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Bludhaven #5
Firestorm #26
Green Arrow #63
Nightwing #121

"Tenth Planet" Final Decision in September?

The International Astronomical Union has indicated that they will be making a formal decision on the definition of the term "Planet" sometime in September. This will likely include the determination on whether the newly discovered object 2003 UB313 will qualify as our solar system's 10th planet, or even possibly if the 9th planet - Pluto - will get demoted from Planet status.

Details:

Definition of 'Planet' Expected in September

Also, for more information on 2003 UB313 and the debate about Planetary Status for this object, go here:

2003 UB313 Homepage

Capsule Reviews - Week of June 7

Still in crunch time mode, so only some more Capsule Reviews this week.

Wonder Woman #1 - Put simply, this was the best issue of the week. Great art, good writing, and a kick-ass set-up. By now, everyone and their brother knows that Donna Troy starts the series off in the title role, instead of Diana Prince. I know some people aren’t going to like it when I say this, but I for one hope that stays. I never was that much interested in the classic Wonder Woman, but Donna Troy has always been one of my favorite characters on the Titans - and she’s way overdue for a series of her own. I think she’d make an awesome Wonder Woman, if they’d only give her the chance. Well, it looks like Allan Heinberg is actually going to give her that chance, although I will hedge my words by mentioning that who will ultimately be the titled super heroine is still not clear by issue’s end. Still, it’s a great read, and a wonderful stepping on point for new readers. So, here’s hoping it’ll be Donna Troy’s title from here on out. Very much looking forward to the next issue. RATING: 4.5/5

52 #5 - This issue struck me as the weakest of the issues so far. Only two days in the week are covered, the first and the last, and virtually none of the main six characters see their plot advanced even one iota. Instead, we mostly are given the aftermath of the return of some of Donna Troy’s Space Patrol (tm) members from last issue. Hawkgirl is now 25 feet tall, Bumblebee is now 6 inches, Firestorm and Cyborg are fused together, and Mal has some pieces of Red Tornado (who exploded while in the zeta beam transport) stuck in him. But despite the sluggish pace, there was one major revelation: Mal at one point screams “Its coming! 52! 52!”, revealing that in fact the series title has more meanings than the one everyone has been assuming. The only other significant event about the issue is that we find Starfire, Animal Man, and Adam Strange stuck on a distant planet at issue’s end; they’re alive but marooned, with their only chance of escape a rickety spaceship that Strange is trying to repair - a task made even more difficult by the fact that he’s lost his sight. Anyway, the writing is good and the art is decent, although a little rushed looking in some places. Not the best issue of the series, but by no means is it dreadful. RATING: 3.5/5

Outsiders #37 - OK, what was the point of this issue? In fact, what was the point of the whole Mali storyline? The issue can be summarized as such: Alan Scot confirms the captured speedster is a clone of Jay Garrick and takes possession of it; the President of Mali is overthrown in a rather anti-climactic bloodless coup; Brain and Mallah spend some quality time together; and Nightwing threatens Superman. After spending several issues building up this intervention in Mali, the resolution to that plot seems just thrown randomly together and done for no other purpose than to get it out of the way so they can advance the story to the next villain du jour, namely Brain and Mallah of the Brotherhood of Evil. Its kind of frustrating, because reading the previous few issues you’d have sworn it was going to end with some confrontation between the dictator and the Outsiders. But we don’t get even that, although they do make the mistake of letting the Ruthless Dictator live (you know he's going to show up again someday). Well, all I can say is, at least it provides some background into what’s going on right now in Teen Titans. At least the art is pretty good; if I stick with this title, it’ll probably be because I like Matt Clark’s pencils and not because of the writing. Sorry, guys, but I’m not really digging this series. RATING: 2.5/5

Capsule Reviews - 4 June, 2006

I wanted to write up some more full reviews of recent issues, but I'm getting swamped with work and may not have the time. So, here are some quick comments about a few recent titles, so I can get them out of the way and put the issues into my long box:

52 #2 - The plot thickens. After being introduced to our main characters and the general set-up in the first issue, 52 starts moving very quickly to move on its main stories. I'm most interested in Ralph Dibny's tale of redemption right now. Hmm... Scientists have gone missing, and evidently by the OYL start many of them are still missing. Still not interested in Renee Montoya, but liking The Question. Cassie has started a Superboy cult... still in denial about Conner's death, is she? Good writing, good art. RATING: 4/5.

52 #3 - Black Adam throws down the gauntlet, says superheroes need to be more proactive when dealing with evil. Lex Luthor is slimy as always; is that Alex Luthor's body the police found? I guess Alex ain't coming back for the next crisis. John Henry I'm getting a little more interested in, and I think he's got the right attitude when it comes to his niece. Still good writing, still good art. RATING: 4/5.

52 #4 - Hints about the return of Donna's Space Patrol (tm). John Henry gets caught up in an explosion - is he going to be Supernova? Ralph Dibny's story picks up, but why did he wait more than a week to meet the rest of Cassie's Superboy cult? At issue's end, some of the Space Patrol return - looks like Red Tornado exploded, injuring several of them - including Alan Scott, Bumblebee, Herald, Hawkgirl. Not sure, but I think one of the merged figures at center of the page is Cyborg, which means we may see the Titans in the next issue. As always, the writing is keepinig me interested, although I think the art may have slacked off a bit from previous issues. But not by much. RATING: 4/5.

Blue Beetle #3 - This series continues to be my favorite of the new titles. A little more lighthearted than regular DCU fare, although that doesn't mean the hard edge is absent. This issue Jaime tries to explain to his family where he's been for the last year, and ends up having to show off the Beetle armor to them. Also gets involved with a skirmish with organized crime, possibly of the drug cartel variety. Interesting plot twist at the very end involving one of Jaime's friends and their "Aunt"; didn't see that coming. Overall, another good issue, marred only by some slightly rushed artwork from a fill-in artist. RATING: 3.5/5

Teen Titans #36 - Johns and Daniel continue to rock! Probably the best issue I've read of any title in many, many weeks. We meet the new Doom Patrol this issue, and what a dysfunctional group they are. Chief (the DP's leader) is absolutely despicable in a creepy, Jim Jones way. Really, really powerful scene with Gar and his adoptive father Mento (Steve Dayton), and some hints about what happened to the Titans during the One Year. I'm still hoping Gar isn't staying with the Doomers and will return to the Titans, but alas, I'm afraid that might be a forlorn hope. Next issue both teams tangle with the Brotherhood of Evil, and - I have a feeling - confronting the Chief as well. The only thing that could make this series better, in my view, is bringing Garfield and Raven back to the team where they belong. RATING: 4.5/5.

Shadowpact #1 - The Day of Vengeance mini series turned out to be the most pleasant surpise out of the four (really, five) Infinite Crisis lead-in minis. Now in their own ongoing series, the Shadowpact are off to a wonderful start. Humor, mystery, and even a touch of the macabre, all rolled into one Great debut issue, marred only by some very annoying continuity problems in the opening pages. But I suspect we'll be able to safely ignore those problems and just continue on with a good series. RATING: 4/5.

Robin #150 - Some people are going to hate this issue. Heck, a number of them already do. The Bat-staff writers have decided to do a number on one of the more popular characters in the Batman family, and many fans will not like it.. Kudos, at least, for having the guts to do it, but its all wasted on a fairly trite and contrived story. Not liking the direction this series is taking; I may drop this one pretty soon. The only thing that might keep be buying it through the summer is an appearance by the new Captain Boomerang in the July and August issues. But if that arc turns out anything like this arc has been, then this series will be going bye-bye for now. RATING: 2.5/5.

I'm also picking up Crisis Aftermath: Battle for Bludhaven, Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre, and Secret Six right now, but since those are all mini series I thought I'd wait until they were done before commenting on them. Give me a chance to evaluate the stories as a whole rather than the sum of their parts.

Pull List - Week of June 7

Titles I'm picking up this week:

52 #5 - Still the second best title DC is putting out.
Outsiders #37 - The start of the Brotherhood of Evil crossover.  Don't Brain and Mallah look like they're on the cover of a trashy romance novel?
Batman: Under the Hood (TPB)
Power Girl (TPB)
Superman: Our Worlds At War (TPB)

Looks like another slim week.

Twilight Child Updated!

My friend Susan Basham (aka "KTHunter") has just posted "Nadir", the latest addition to her wonderful Twilight Child series. For those who don't know, Twilight Child is a fanfic series starring Garfield and Raven, but set in the comic book Teen Titans universe rather than the animated.

Nadir - http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2971644/1/

For more stories in this series, as well as more Garfield & Raven (comic book universe) fanfic, try this C2 Community on FF.Net:

Unexpected Love: A Garfield & Raven Community -
http://www.fanfiction.net/c2/23208/0/0/1/

The Beast Boy and Raven Comic Book Watch - Week of May 31

Superman/Batman #26
Story by Sam Loeb; art and script by a whole lot of people.

This was a special memorial issue to Sam Loeb, the son of Jeph Loeb, who died of cancer last year at the age of only 17. Sam was a big fan of Conner and Tim Drake, and had written a story outline that he wanted to develope and submit. After his death, a large number of his friends - many of them comics proffessionals themselves - decided to finish his story and produce a special memorial issue of Superman/Batman, with the proceeds going to charity. Superman/Batman #26 is that issue. Many very well known names, both writers and artists, contributed. If you buy only one comic this week, I urge you to make it this one. It's a very good tribute to Sam Loeb, made even more poignant by recent events in the DC Universe.

I won't go into too many details about the plot, because it's really beside the point. Suffice to say, Tim Drake (Robin) and Conner (Superboy) are asked to investigate the seeming disappearance of the new Toyman, a 13-year-old kid who lives in Japan. At the Toyman's lair, they encounter a number of puzzles, traps, and challenges... some of them much less deadly than others.

1) Conner finds a hot tub with a bunch of robots. Very familiar looking robots....

(Script: Joe Kelley; pencils & inks: Art Adams; colors: Aspen)

2) At the end of the issue, we find everyone gathered at a memorial to Conner.

(Script: Jeph Loeb; pencils: Ed McGuiness; inks: Dexter Vines; colors: Aspen)

*****

That's it for this week.