Bought/Thought for August 31, 2011 - So Long, Post-Crisis DC Universe Edition

[Phaedrus45]

Journey Into Mystery #626.1

Another fantastic issue of this series. I'm not sure if the events from last issue will pick up again next issue, or if the story will continue in the pages of Fear Itself; but, this is a great issue that gets to the issue of what everyone thinks of the new, younger Loki, and also a peek into what Loki thinks of himself. I think what's most amazing is this writer, Rob Rodi, channels the same great writing we've been seeing from Gillen. t:

Mighty Thor #5

And, still, I hate this book. While some love the headbutting of Galactus, I find it extremely corny. Plus, I've had ENOUGH of characters that grow to amazing heights (ala, Red Skull and Swamp Thing). It sure doesn't help that Journey Into Mystery is giving readers some of the best Thor material we've seen in ages. Add to this that it all happens before Fear Itself ... and, they are talking about Odin having to take the Odin Sleep (that's gonna be a quick nap, with all Odin is doing in that big event) ... I find nothing worth buying with this title.

Herc #6.1

Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong; but, isn't the .1 comics suppose to be Marvel's attempt to grab new readers to jump onboard a comic, and gain new readers? And, by doing that, hopefully save a struggling comic?? So, what's the real purpose of this .1 issue, when we already know it's going to be cancelled with issue #10??

While I've struggled to like Hercules at times, this .1 issue is much better than those Fear Itself tie-ins that came before. I have trouble getting interested in the Olympus gods. Still, this issue did a fine job of making me want to see a bit more from them; and, it does a great job of letting new readers know of everything that's happened to Herc since Chaos War. It is a great jumping on point; but, I guess that's irregardless now.

Spider-Man: Emergence Of Evil - Jackal & Hobgoblin One-Shot

From last week, this $4.99 comic is actually a pretty good bargain. Readers get some recap, almost worthless, new bookend material around three classic reprints. For Jackal, you get the first appearance of The Punisher, too, in ASM #129, and for Hobgoblin, you get those classic ASM issues, #238 and #239. (Of course, that Hobgoblin has little to do with the new version; but, $4.99 is a good price for three reprints, especially ones that cost quite a bit to own nowadays.)

Amazing Spider-Man: Infested - Spider-Island One-Shot

Whereas Emergence of Evil was a nice priced reprint comic, this one just peeved me off. (We can't say pissed, right?) 19 pages of reprints from recent ASM issues (you know, those little 2 or 3 page stories that were a prelude to Spider-Island) for a price of $3.99! This just screams, "Those greedy #@$%s at Marvel!!!" Truly, Marvel and Dan Slott should be ashamed of themselves for gouging the devoted comic reader for something that takes such little time and offers nothing new. Bastards!

Amazing Spider-Man #668

Meh. This issue was okay; but, I'm just not that into Spider-Island, for the reasons I've already stated enough in bought/thought threads. Talking to a LCS owner, he also has lost interest almost immediately, finding this event just too corny for his tastes. I think my newest complaint is how easily all these people with Spidey powers are able to use them with such ease right off the bat. (Oh, and Ramos' art just doesn't do it for me. Something about it is rather off-putting.)

A mild .

Spider Island: Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu #1

Whereas I'm not enjoying the main storyline, some of these off-shoots have been rather nice. I liked Spider-Girl, LOVED Cloak and Dagger, and also really liked this comic. Nice to see Immortal Weapons again! It does seem like Shang Chi is drifting from event to event; but, I shouldn't be surprised, as the writer is Johnston, who did some of the only good stuff in Shadowland. I'll read stuff from him any time.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Flashpoint #5

HUGELY disappointing ending to what's been a fantastic event from DC. The whole hype behind this final issue was that we'd be seeing the whole reason how the New 52 came to be; yet, it's as lame as the reason for all the changes that have happened to the characters in the DCU. We learn that it's not the Reverse Flash's fault that everything has changed; but, Barry's for saving the life of his mother before Reverse Flash killed her. Supposedly, Flash was "like a bullet through a windshield" and he "shattered history." Oh, yes...what a weak excuse, especially with all the time travel adventures we've seen in Booster Gold. That one change then effected EVERY HERO in the DCU??!!?? Rubbish.

Of course, Flash changes it all back; but, that cannot set everything back on track, and we get the New 52. The excuse for the New 52 is as simple as that. Yep, absolutely no thought went into how everything happened or will happen. Johns came up with an idea; but, didn't think it deserved any real rationale.

Justice League #1

That leads us to the first issue of the New 52. Does it deliver? It all depends on how much you can put the huge change to the back of your mind and enjoy the comic for what it is. Like with the final issue of Flashpoint, it's rather fancy looking fluff, in my opinion. AND, it starts out 5 years in the past, recreating the emergence of the Justice League. (I have a ton of questions, like is the first storyline going to be all set in the past, and then we hop forward to the current..which is only 5 freakin' years, supposedly??!!?? Seems like the Justice League would have been formed long before 5 years ago, especially considering all the stuff that's happened for so long.)

As mentioned by others, we mainly get Batman and Green Lantern meeting for the first time; and, the dialogue is exactly what you'd expect. It's "hero meeting hero for the first time, 101." Johns brings very little originality to this. It's meant to shine like a diamond, but is actually some cheap cubic zirconia. What helps the book is Jim Lee's artwork; but, even I had trouble with that. (What, you ask? Trouble with Lee's fantastic artwork??? Yep, his Batman just reminded me suddenly, "Oh, yeah. It's All-Star Batman and Robin, that was NEVER FINISHED." His art with Bats just brings up bad memories.)

I think new readers will be glamored by what they see here. You get 24 pages for $3.99 (and, a hell of a lot of pages promoting the New 52), and it reads like DC finally decided to do an Ultimate book; but, they did it to the whole damn DC universe. I wonder if this stems from the success of Straczynski's Earth One. That did so well in sales, that DC might have been glamored themselves into believing the whole she-bang needed to be rehauled. It's One More Day, but to an extreme that even Marvel never did. (With Spider-Man, we knew the slight tweeks began when MJ said she wouldn't marry Peter; but, this goes back to the beginning of everything and says nothing we've ever read EVER happened. It's not getting the same uproar with fans; but, maybe that's because DC fans are not as fervent as the Marvel ones.)

A mild . I see how people can like it; but, I also haven't been glamored into believing the hype, either.

Secret Avengers #16

Ellis' first issue is alright. I like Spencer on this title much more; but, it beats the hell out of what Brubaker did. At least Cap isn't the main focal point, and the other heroes get equal billing. Still, it didn't wow me at all. It even felt like a .1 issue. It's a good introduction to what the new direction will be; but, I don't think it won any new readers. Another mild .

Haunt #17

We've been waiting for this final issue from Kirkman for a while now, as a new creative team begins next issue. In fact, I think it comes out next week, this issue is so damn late. (I am excited to see what Casey does.) This book has always been entertaining, but not original in the least. It felt like an ode to Spawn, and Kirkman was almost phoning it in. This final issue felt that way even more. Kirkman wraps up his storyline involving the big, red monster that's been hounding Haunt for the last bunch of issues; and, it's a weak ending. Someone dies, and Haunt never has to worry about it again. It really makes little sense, and seemd to have as much time devoted to it as Johns spent devoting an explanation to Flashpoint.

As Kirkman is THE MAN at Image, he's really putting out a lot of stuff; but, it's starting to effect the quality of his work. Like with Haunt, I feel he's just phoning in this stuff, getting cash for having his name on it; and, it's just stretching things a little too thin. He's turning into the Nick Cage of comics. Collect the payday, be damned the unoriginal scripts.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

DC fans aren't not as fervent, they're just used to their universes getting rebooted. Flashpoint was basically a Crisis in disguise.

A little late, but I just reviewed Superman Beyond on my comics blog, so I thought I'd put it here since I haven't B/Ted in a while:

Released in August by DC Comics, Superman Beyond #0 features the Batman Beyond version of Superman first seen in the episode "The Call."

Written by Tom DeFalco with his Spider-Girl cohorts Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema on art, the book presents the old-school, yet entertaining flair, they've brought readers for 10 years on Spider-Girl. Superman, gradually losing strength, decides to end his sabbatical in space since Superman/Batman Annual #4 and return to Earth. There, a new foe, Armorgeddon, arises from a series of unfortunate personal circumstances. Add a little Kryptonite solution into the mix that made him what he is, and the already diminished Superman has his hands full.


The magic in the story is that DeFalco makes you want to care about the villain. Armorgeddon isn't a villain for evil's sake. There's a real human motivation behind what makes him the way he is. And, the strength in the story is, that Superman eventually recognizes the humanity behind his actions and tries to figure out a way to stop him without hurting him too much. This creates an interesting conflict, and plays to the strengths of Superman's character. The fact that he manages to accomplish all this in a mere 30 pages, where most writers take 6 issues to tell as much, and is able to interweave previous continuity without bogging down the reader is a testament to DeFalco's tried and true skills. Frenz and Buscema continue to compliment each other as the pages dance out and pop; from the soft moments to the heavy action scenes. Chris Beckett's vibrant colors also contribute to the flair on the page, giving readers a nice taste of the glory days of comics.


The most interesting thing to note is that the comic itself seems more directly tied into the cartoon than DC's recent Batman Beyond series. The character designs, specifically for old Bruce Wayne, seem directly pulled from the show whereas Beyond the comic made some tweaks to the models. Although, while art on Beyond has generally been good, if Frenz ever gets offered the regular penciling chores on the book I hope he takes it. And, despite an uncertainty expressed in interviews of dedicating their time to another ongoing, if DC decides on a Superman Beyond ongoing I hope these guys are on board.


The verdict: if you love old school comics, they don't get much better today than DeFalco and company. They present the stuff that made comics what they are without it seeming too tired and dull. And, if you love Superman, you can't do much better than the characterization in this book.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Yep, that Superman Beyond book was a nice surprise last week. I hope to see more of DeFalco with DC. This book was much better than Justice League #1.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

DeFalco is one of my top writers to follow. He actually cares about telling a good story, and knows just how long to spend on said story. And the fact that he's able to deliver a seamless entry with only a quick recap of past material (ala Thunderstrike, since he admitted he hadn't followed regular Marvel while he was doing Spider-Girl) almost effortlessly is impressive. That is a true comic writer. We need less comic superstars and more comic writers.

 

[Dan_Slott]

Amazing Spider-Man: Infested - Spider-Island One-Shot

Whereas Emergence of Evil was a nice priced reprint comic, this one just peeved me off. (We can't say pissed, right?) 19 pages of reprints from recent ASM issues (you know, those little 2 or 3 page stories that were a prelude to Spider-Island) for a price of $3.99! This just screams, "Those greedy #@$%s at Marvel!!!" Truly, Marvel and Dan Slott should be ashamed of themselves for gouging the devoted comic reader for something that takes such little time and offers nothing new. Bastards!

Um... Dude, I have no say on any money matters whatsoever at Marvel.
If I did... I'd probably be paid more.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Are you able to put in a request to sell things at a lower price? I've always wondered if writers could make that happen.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Only on creator-owned books. The publishers pretty much determine the price otherwise by whatever formula they use.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Ah, the "how much can we overcharge during a recession and still get away with it" forumla. I'm hip to the lingo

 

[Phaedrus45]

Um... Dude, I have no say on any money matters whatsoever at Marvel.
If I did... I'd probably be paid more.

I wonder the same thing JH said. Can writers stand up and say, "Hey, this is a little much!" Damn, I know I'm in a VAST minority; but, buying every thing Marvel puts out each week, when I get this kind of stuff in my inbox, it pisses me off to no end. I mean, I just bought all this! At least throw me a bone with something new, like we got with Emergence Of Evil.

How much do the writers dictate what the prices should be? I know if it has Bendis' or Brubaker's name on it, I'm gonna pay $3.99, regardless. And, while ASM's regular series might be the same price, often you've given us so extra to dictate the higher price. (And, maybe that's why I was so harsh with this. When it comes to your name on something, I've often gotten a few extra pages worth of material.) I'm not sure if it's just because I'm not the average reader. Most everyone isn't going to pick up this reprint issue. Most everyone might not be so upset that we have a bunch of Spidey's swinging around New York because we've already seen a glut of Hulks, Green Lanterns, Supermen, and Hammers lately. I know I'm coming into this with biases; but, damn, it's because I love the industry (and Marvel) so much.

I guess when (or if) you come to Emerald City next year, I better not come up and say, "Hi, I'm Phaedrus45." Doh! Review threads be damned!!!

 

[Phaedrus45]

Only on creator-owned books. The publishers pretty much determine the price otherwise by whatever formula they use.

I know this. I debated adding Dan's name to my rant; but, I don't know...I just have this ideal of comic writers and artists saying "I AM MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!"

 

[Phaedrus45]

double post

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Heh dude, we're all just trying to keep things afloat long enough for you to have something to be mad about.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Hah! I think you'd be okay Phaed. I'd probably be more groan-worthy if I came to a con

 

[Phaedrus45]

Heh dude, we're all just trying to keep things afloat long enough for you to have something to be mad about.

Well, if it all goes belly up, I'm gonna save a hell of a lot of cash each month. I guess I can take up smoking, then.

BTW, thanks again for those great guidebooks you've been helping to put out. It's just fantastic stuff, and I wish more people would buy them. (Although, I'm wondering if I never got the final issue of the last series before the new one started up?) Is this Punisher, Wolverine, Ghost Rider going to be really extensive, doing all the various Punisher and Wolverine books that have come out over the years? Or, are they just going to focus on the main titles? I'm guessing Ghost Rider will finish long before the other two.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Hah! I think you'd be okay Phaed. I'd probably be more groan-worthy if I came to a con

Either way, I'm not saying anything, besides "thank you, Mr. Slott. Love your stuff, Mr. Slott. I'm not FarmerNudie, Mr. Slott."

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Heh sure thing. Glad you and the other 4,000 people dig it. If you don't have #15, then you missed one.

No, as with the other books we're doing the main runs. But, there will be TPB extras so who knows; if there's room we could do one of the smaller spin-offs like we did with X-Men Classic and Hidden Years. I know with Ghost Rider we're going as far as 0.1 (which I'm writing) and also covering Trail of Tears, but yeah that one's finishing first. We may end up with a similar situation like the end of the last run.

 

[Dread]

Herc #6.1

Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong; but, isn't the .1 comics suppose to be Marvel's attempt to grab new readers to jump onboard a comic, and gain new readers? And, by doing that, hopefully save a struggling comic?? So, what's the real purpose of this .1 issue, when we already know it's going to be cancelled with issue #10??

While I've struggled to like Hercules at times, this .1 issue is much better than those Fear Itself tie-ins that came before. I have trouble getting interested in the Olympus gods. Still, this issue did a fine job of making me want to see a bit more from them; and, it does a great job of letting new readers know of everything that's happened to Herc since Chaos War. It is a great jumping on point; but, I guess that's irregardless now.

Amazing Spider-Man #668

Meh. This issue was okay; but, I'm just not that into Spider-Island, for the reasons I've already stated enough in bought/thought threads. Talking to a LCS owner, he also has lost interest almost immediately, finding this event just too corny for his tastes. I think my newest complaint is how easily all these people with Spidey powers are able to use them with such ease right off the bat. (Oh, and Ramos' art just doesn't do it for me. Something about it is rather off-putting.)

A mild .

Spider Island: Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu #1

Whereas I'm not enjoying the main storyline, some of these off-shoots have been rather nice. I liked Spider-Girl, LOVED Cloak and Dagger, and also really liked this comic. Nice to see Immortal Weapons again! It does seem like Shang Chi is drifting from event to event; but, I shouldn't be surprised, as the writer is Johnston, who did some of the only good stuff in Shadowland. I'll read stuff from him any time.

HERC #6.1 was scheduled before the recent announcement that HERC #10 would be the final issue. Plus, in fairness, the .1 issues mostly exist to sell another issue in another form, and/or an annual in another form, not exactly to promote the title to new readers. The ASM one helped launch VENOM, but beyond that, they're just extra issues/annuals. Not to be confused with double-shipping of many regular issues, or even the occasional annual that still is sold. Anything to clog the racks, kids!

As for ASM #668, I think some of the INFESTED material as well as the event itself shows that not everyone "knows how to use spider-powers off the bat". Look how easily the Avengers were clearing house; the only dilemma were numbers, not powers. They were mopping the floor with the Spider-Gang like they were Hand Ninja. It was only a drag for the real Spider-Man when he was caught in the mix (and was hammered by his own allies). Even Iron Fist was mopping the floor with Spider-Impostors; in SHADOWLAND, he could barely match a demonically possessed DD.

The only people who seemed "natural" with the spider-powers so far are Spider-Girl, Shang Chi, and Carlie Cooper. Spider-Girl used to be Arana, so aside for things like webbing, they're powers she previous had and trained with (and she has expressed surprise at the webbing). Shang Chi is the "master of kung fu" which apparently means he's a natural at anything. Admittedly, Carlie is mastering them very quickly given that while she has gotten NYPD training, she's a CSI and not a beat cop most times. But, Peter Parker was a 90 lb. weakling who'd never been in a fight in his life, and immediately upon gaining his powers, he defeated a wrestler, a burglar, Chameleon, Vulture, Tinkerer, and quite a few henchmen before his first loss to Dr. Octopus. The theory is that if a teenage nerd with spider-powers could at least approach competence against certain opponents immediately, then people who were physically stronger and/or more experienced at combat would probably be just as keen.

And, again, 90% of them are being swatted aside by Thing or Cage or Firestar or Iron Fist or Wolverine like they're AIM grunts. So I don't think it's THAT bad. The tarnishing of Spidey's name will likely be worse.

Haunt #17

We've been waiting for this final issue from Kirkman for a while now, as a new creative team begins next issue. In fact, I think it comes out next week, this issue is so damn late. (I am excited to see what Casey does.) This book has always been entertaining, but not original in the least. It felt like an ode to Spawn, and Kirkman was almost phoning it in. This final issue felt that way even more. Kirkman wraps up his storyline involving the big, red monster that's been hounding Haunt for the last bunch of issues; and, it's a weak ending. Someone dies, and Haunt never has to worry about it again. It really makes little sense, and seemd to have as much time devoted to it as Johns spent devoting an explanation to Flashpoint.

As Kirkman is THE MAN at Image, he's really putting out a lot of stuff; but, it's starting to effect the quality of his work. Like with Haunt, I feel he's just phoning in this stuff, getting cash for having his name on it; and, it's just stretching things a little too thin. He's turning into the Nick Cage of comics. Collect the payday, be damned the unoriginal scripts.

Kirkman is the Nick Cage of comics? That's cold, dude.

HAUNT was always something that I didn't think was Kirkman's best work, likely because the influences of McFarlane were still there, and he's past his prime. There's only so much you can do with the concept. It's not bad but I probably won't miss it much when I walk away after issue #18. TMNT will likely replace it.

 

[El Bastardo]

I like CBR's site but their reviewers can be a little questionable at times.

The Doug guy I referenced, and another guy whose first name is Greg, are usually the most suspect.

Tim Callahan, when he was reviewing, Chad Nevett, and the newer reviewers Ryan and Kelly are all intelligent and quite capable.

It's just that the first two seem to do a lot more reviews than the other three (not counting Tim, since he no longer reviews).

 

[Phaedrus45]

Incredible Hulks #635

Pak's amazing run on Hulk comes to an end; and, while the highlight will always be Planet Hulk, I cannot say that the stuff that came afterwords exactly thrilled me. Not sure how much of that is Pak's fault, having to pick up the pieces to Loeb's multi-colored Hulks; but, I do know this final storyline did very little for me. Even my hopes of having Rick Jones' A-Bomb come to an end is ruined. He's still around at the end. Bleck!

I'm looking forward to the new direction. And, that's the key words: New Direction! Get rid of Amadeus and all the multi-colored Hulks. Go ahead and keep Rulk, if they want; but, Betty and Rick bug the crap out of me. (It's why I cannot stand the new Venom. I don't need the main character's buddies becoming empowered all the damn time now.)

Planet Of The Apes #5

I've been enjoying Gregory's Apes; but, I think he would have been better served with starting over from scratch, rather than trying to add to the mythos. It did wonders for the new movie (fantastic movie!). This dollar issue is suppose to represent a good jumping on point for new readers; but, it's actually a continuation of the previous storyline. I'm liking it; but not sure if it will convince people to start reading it that haven't been around since issue one.

Executive Assistant: Violet #2

I have found myself enjoying the first issues more than the seconds. Still, the storyline has me interested enough; but, I find Iris and Orchid to be the better of the two.

A mild .

Gambit: From The Marvel Vault One-Shot

I can see the other reviewer's distaste for this comic; but, there are two cool things that I enjoyed about it. First, that Marvel let fans of Tuska finally get to see his final work. Sadly, the original script disappeared; and, Marvel gets another writer to make it up from the artwork that survived. Second, we're only being charged a low $2.99 for this book. (Being a "lost treasure," I can easily seeing a company deciding it should be a buck higher. After all, this is something new, unlike that Infested one-shot; yet, the same number of pages.)

The story is definitely a or lower; but, for price and the unveiling of old stuff laying around the building, I also give it a .

 

[hippie_hunter]

Herc #6.1

Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong; but, isn't the .1 comics suppose to be Marvel's attempt to grab new readers to jump onboard a comic, and gain new readers? And, by doing that, hopefully save a struggling comic?? So, what's the real purpose of this .1 issue, when we already know it's going to be cancelled with issue #10??

Yeah, Marvel gave up on that idea and now just uses the .1 issues to milk existing readers of their money. Since no one is buying spin-offs anymore, they decided to double ship and add .1 issues to books that their readers are already buying

 

[Phaedrus45]

That is odd; because, many of those issues, Herc included, read as fillers for those who are not aware of what's been happening before. There is a good amount of back story. Oh well, even though this issue had that, it was still one of the better issues of the series.

Wolverine: The Best There Is #9

From last week.

This is such an weird friggin' book. It's like Wolverine meets 90's Cable meets Casanova. In fact, this book is much more like Casanova than any Wolverine book I've read before. Now, I know there are some Casanova fanatics out there; and, I've read both of the previous series that Marvel reprinted. Frankly, I don't really like the book. It's a bit too off-beat for my tastes. THUS, this comic does very little for me. The first 3/4ths has so much dialogue, I just kept tuning out and having to re-read what I just had gone over. Then, the ending is a bunch of action with hardly a word spoken. Strange book...not for me. There is an audience for it, though.

Uncanny X-Force #14

What is it about Remender that makes me enjoy the beginning of his work; but, slowly get bored as it goes on. I LOVED this title when it first came out; then, it took a little bit of a dive with the Deathlok storyline. Well, things continue to go downhill. I'll have to read what others thought about the last two issues I just read; but, I find myself completely bored with Archangel. He's got zero personality. And, I'm beginning to think having Fantomex and Deadpool on the same team just isn't working that well. (For one thing, the dark colors of the artist makes it hard to distinguish them apart at times; and, their personalities are starting to mesh together too much.)

It was a trial getting through issues 13 and 14. I really am not too pleased with the book.

Dark Horse Presents #3

How awesome that this book stayed at the same $7.99 price, but went up from 80 pages to 104! This book really does offer a little of something for everyone. My personal favorite, though, was Steranko's first chapter of his remastered Red Tide, what he considers to be the first graphic novel ever published in 1976. (We know this, because of a fabulous 3-page interview that follows this chapter.) The story seemed really familiar to me; and, I'm not sure if I've read it before, or if I've just read so many similar tales. Either way, I'm seriously considering getting the full story when it comes out. (Heck, it might already have.)

There were at least four other stories I really liked in here; and, as usual, a few I didn't. Still, like I said, there is something for everyone. I real pleasure to get.

The Sixth Gun #14

I just love this comic more and more as it goes on. This issue gives the backstory on the mummy that's appeared in the last two issues; and, it might be my favorite issue yet. Even the guest artist added a lot to the story, I thought.

It's too bad more people aren't picking up this title. Out of many of these more popular comics I've read this week, this is a much better product.

Iron Man 2.0 #8

The Palmer Addley storyline continues; and, those readers who jumped on this book with the Fear Itself/Immortal Weapons storyline might find themselves very confused. (Last month's .1 issue didn't really do a lot to fill people in, I thought.) I'm enjoying the book; but, Spencer's writing might turn others off. Either way, it's a lot more original that Justice League was. I'm very much impressed with Spencer's writing. I just wish his characters were given a bit more ... life to them. I always feel the story is more important than the characters with his books.