good things
I spent yesterday evening re-reading Helen Dewitt's The English Understand Wool, one of the best books I've read in the past few years, and reading T. Kingfisher's Snake-Eater, which I loved.
A friend is stopping by to keep me company while I make snickerdoodles, and this has prompted me to sweep and run the vacuum cleaner; this evening I will go to needlecrafting and there will be a colleague there.
French Hiss: JUSTICE LEAGUE EUROPE #1-2 (JLI 37)

From here to issue #27, series art is by Bart Sears over Keith Giffen layouts until otherwise noted. All plots and layouts by Giffen, though DeMatteis will only script through #8.
The idea of a “Justice League Europe” was a natural extension of the “Justice League International” concept, but it has an intrinsic problem: almost any high-profile or mid-profile characters it could use were always going to be Americans. Giffen and DeMatteis leaned into that as an inherent source of conflict from the get-go.
( If this were a TV pilot, it would probably play ‘‘American Idiot’’ over the opening credits. )
(no subject)
On my way out the door to a vigil for last night's mass casualty incident; today is also the thirteenth anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, and there was an antisemitic mass shooting in Bondi Beach, Australia yesterday.
I do not know how I am going to get through this vigil and come home and light my chanukiyah, with its engraving, More life. The great work begins.
ETA: Ran into some coworkers at the extremely well-attended vigil and they came home with me to light the chanukiyah, and that helped.
- char: angel/archangel/warren worthington,
- char: colossus/piotr rasputin,
- char: doctor doom/victor von doom,
- char: nightcrawler/kurt wagner,
- char: professor x/charles xavier,
- char: shadowcat/kitty pryde,
- char: storm/ororo munroe,
- char: wolverine/logan/james howlett,
- creator: daniel kibblesmith,
- creator: pat olliffe,
- theme: holidays
Would Sauron’s Ring Be More Tempting As a Death-Ray Bazooka?: JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #30 (JLI 36)

The cover and title--“Teenage Biker Mega-Death!”--both have a cheeky charm, but don’t be fooled. I’d call this the darkest story of Giffen and DeMatteis’ run, more so than the funeral episode, Blue Beetle’s mind imploding, or even the Despero stuff. Warning for death, violence, body horror, and a sense of crushing hopelessness I normally associate with election night 2016.
( Even the first time I read this, I was like…‘‘JESUS.’’ )
The Healing Power of Spank Banks: JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #29 (JLI 35)

(From two issues back.)
When we last left the Blue Beetle, his prognosis was grim: the Queen Bee has programmed his mind to attack not only Max Lord but also itself. He's comatose and circling the drain. Without the Bee, he’s just a “-tle”! Only two things can save him: an old man he’s sort of met before and his own horniness.
( But not for the old man. )









