What Kenny Read This Week - 8/29/21
I dive into Morrison and Sharp's "The Green Lantern," Junji Ito's "Sensor," and more in this weekly update.
I think it’s no secret that I read a lot. And by a lot, I mean upwards of 400 volumes of comics a year. Add in some novels, nonfiction, articles, and blogs and you’ve got a hefty list of material.
I wanted to go ahead and start sharing some of the highlights of the week and recommend things that I’ve read or that I’m currently reading.
The Green Lantern: Vol 1 -- Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp
I read this in issues as it came out, but I wanted to go back and read the whole thing as one work now that Season 1 and Season 2 have been collected across four volumes. Morrison has always been one of my favorite comic book writers, and when it was announced that they were going to be doing Green Lantern I could’ve exploded from excitement.
This story really is a throwback to the Silver Age of comics. It’s big, unapologetic science fiction that doesn’t stop to explain everything and just goes with the absurd corner of the DC Universe that the Green Lantern Corp exists in. I think I like it more the second time around as I dive into Morrison’s ideas and Sharp’s artwork.
It’s recommended for people who like science fiction and action stories that are a little out there. It’s definitely not a superhero book, and I love that about it.
Sensor -- Junji Ito
What’s there to say about Junji Ito that hasn’t been said a million times? The guy is a master of horror manga and every volume he puts out I rush to go pick it up. I think I liked this story a bit more than Remina, but both are eerie and disturbing.
I don’t want to spoil the premise for anyone who hasn’t read it, but you should check it out if you love cosmic horror and striking visuals.
Something is Killing the Children: Vol 3 -- James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
I’ve been catching up on Something is Killing the Children and the hype for this is completely justified. It’s a fun monster romp with a premise that lends itself to expanding the universe. I know that there’s a new series coming out that’s going to run alongside the main book and I totally get why.
I tabled at a convention recently and I saw a lot of people wearing the face bandanas of the House of Slaughter.
This series has to do with monster hunters that fight creatures only children can see. It’s great for people who love things like Hellboy or Demon Slayer.
The Pack -- David Fisher
I’ve been diving into a lot of these novels from the Paperbacks from Hell series. I’m a big Grady Hendrix fan, so anything with this imprint is usually a go for my Kindle. I was deathly afraid of dogs growing up. I used to have nightmares about them chasing me and killing me. So of course, I had to read a novel that has that as the exact premise.
One thing I always have to tell myself when reading these books is that the tropes that are played out now were new back then. You run into a lot of those in these novels and you just have to take it at face value.
That being said, it’s great at ratcheting up the tension and you immediately empathize with this family trapped on an island with hungry, bloodthirsty dogs.
Until Next Time!
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