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[gregjh]

So while enjoying my lazy vacation, I figured I'd find a couple of random reads on my favourite comics site.
My favourite comics tend to be superhero or western comics, probably because they remind me of my childhood.

So for round 1 I grabbed two random western comics. Firstly I opened Black Diamond Western 09. This appeared to be an origins story and I was impressed with the pacing: the dialogue was extended beyond what I normally enjoy in a comic but in this tale, it served a good purpose. The origins story began with a key event and then quickly but clearly covered its effects over the next few years with good character development. The artwork probably wasn't as good as some other westerns but was still adequate. A good read this one, I might read at least one more in this series to see if I want to get more invested in it.

My second read was Wyatt Earp 11. This one presented the main characters in a rather shallow way. I doubt many readers needed to be reminded that the Earps had a quick trigger finger, or what their role was. The story arc with two feuding factions was quite good, if somewhat predictable and the artwork was a little higher calibre than Black Diamond in my view. Overall, another decent read and I might read more.

[gregjh]

So today I read two more comics. First was Death Valley 1. This was another western, notably more violent than most of the age. The story attempts to provide a swerve: it discusses a "young boy" who appears to be highly talented but morally questionable - something I feel is unusual for tales of this era but perhaps others can correct me if I'm wrong. The short tale ends with a revelation on who this young man is. This tale was OK but shallow and in my view, not particularly deft in its swerve/origins story.

Next up was Black Terror 5. The Terror and his sidekick engage in a short trip to Moscow via Germany, complete with twists and turns both literally and metaphorically. This tale had a few neat characters but even with the few stories I've read, I feel the BT is somewhat predicable and one-dimensional. his quips and responses to everything already seem repetitive. It was slightly surprising to see Terror in the happy company of a certain Josef Stalin at the end. I can only assume the writers weren't fully aware of what he was responsible for until years later, as this comic was produced before the end of the conflict.

[Robb_K]

If you want discussion about these books, why don't you take a regular turn as book chooser in The CB+ Reading Group?  Some of us regulars are very busy now, and would likely give you turns, or we could just add you as a regular chooser.  I'm going to be very busy working on translations over the next year or two.  So, I'll welcome choosing less.