Too Fond of Books

In Comics:

Empowered, Volume 5, by Adam Warren: Normally, I turn to this for superhero parody and the touching relationship between the title character and her lover. In this volume, I was surprised by the gravitas of the final story. Warren knows how to set up true character drama--it's everywhere in this book, from the dialogue between the heroine and her nemesis, to the little visual asides that simultaneously skewer and celebrate superhero comics. This volume handily picks up from the previous one and takes the plot in different and difficult directions. Warren is a fine artist/satirist, and fans of his work will not be disappointed.

Madame Xanadu: Exodus Noir, 1 of 5, Wager/Kaluta: Amy Reed appears to be taking a hiatus from the pencils. Kaluta's work is very Rackham-esque and the illustrative style lends a nice touch to the story, especially the parts set in 1940, where the pictures feel like old photographs and the pacing of the story is consistent with plot. The weak point appears to be in the second half of the story, which takes place in 1493 and introduces a revelation about the main character's sexuality that reads more like a plot device than honest-to-goodness identity. Hopefully, the remaining four issues of the story will pick up the scattered pieces of the first issue.

In Anime:

Gurren Lagen: "Let's reject common sense and make the impossible possible!" This is the most goofily macho anime series I've seen in ages. It's a RPG as imagined by a bunch of hyper-caffeinated 13-year-olds who seem to have no idea that the words "manly combining" function on more levels than just the one they imagine. And it's such tremendous fun! I don't usually give two figs about giant robots, but this is just entertaining enough that I just might switch over to the dark, macho side might.