Way back in October, I blabbed about picking up the Wong Kar-Wai DVD boxset. I finally got around to watching Days of Being Wild, Wong's breakout film about a shiftless love-'em-and-leave-'em type in the Sixties and the women he seduces, then drops like a bad habit when they get too attached. It's a good movie, sort of the anti-Chungking Express. Both films feature heartbroken characters, but where CKE was about people moving on with their lives, the characters in Days don't seem to be able to let go of the past, or are unable to connect with the ones they long for. This film seems to be a prequel of sorts for In the Mood For Love, as Tony Leung appears in the last scene, which has nothing to do with anything that preceded it. 2046 is a sequel of sorts to that film, so something tells me a back-to-back-to-back viewing of these three films is in my near future.
Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers was the best story arc to date. I had started to give up on Fables, as I thought it was an original concept but a little slow, but this was a great read and I'm still on board for future collections.
Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo's Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 was, well, fantastic. I was a little leery since I've always thought the FF were a little dull (something Waid attests to in his notes at the back of the book), but this is a great story with humor, suspense, pretty art, and, of course, Dr. Doom. But it also conveys these characters as family, something other books often try but few succeed at.
The Losers: Double Down is the second installment of the stylish action thriller about CIA operatives presumed dead who return to settle a score with the shadowy figure who left them for dead. Robert Ludlum and Tony Scott got together to make a comic, this would be it. Very satisfying.
I also went old-school Marvel with Essential Tomb Of Dracula Volume 1 and Volume 2. These are reprints of the great '70s Marvel horror series by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. Having a thing for vampires, I have to say these are a lot of fun, if a bit dated at times. Can't wait to move onto Volume 3.
I took a shot at Dave Gibbons'
The Originals, you know, from the other guy who created The Watchmen. It wasn't too bad, sort of a Blade-Runner-meets-Rebel-Without-A-Cause, retro sci-fi tale. It was an enjoyable read, but nothing too memorable.
Queen and Country: Operation: Dandelion is the latest story arc of Greg Rucka's excellent espionage series, with art by Mike Hawthorne. This one's all office politics, but it's no less gritty or suspenseful than previous stories. Seriously, this is a fantastic read. If the BBC produced 24 and then made it into a comic, it would be Q&C.
Supreme Power Vol. 2: Powers and Principalities continues Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski's take on Marvel's Justice League knockoffs Squadron Supreme. Imagine if Superman had been raised by the government at the height of the Cold War and not Ma and Pa Kent, and you get the idea. I thought the first six issues were just okay so I stopped buying it, but this collection really picks up the steam (not to mention the violence, nudity, and profanity). Gary Frank's art is great, the story is building momentum, and this is a series to keep an eye on.
On the manga front, Ray was pretty enjoyable. It has a great premise, about a nurse who performs surgery without a license on the black market, and an intriguing backstory. I read about this in Newtype and liked the look of the art, and I'm glad I took a chance on it.
See? I told you I was busy.
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