Unpacking all the books (and comics) that returned home with me after a recent trip to London
Inside me there are two wolves. One sees how late-stage capitalism is on course to destroy our society if left unchecked. The other really likes buying books and comic book collections. What can I say? Ogres and onions aren’t the only ones with layers.
I recently took a little trip to London, which in hindsight, was mostly an excuse to go book shopping. Not that I’m complaining. Join me as I divulge my purchases and my reasons for picking up these books in the first place. Maybe you’ll find something that interests you in this book haul!
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
This is my current book club read, so I was probably going to get around to this one sooner rather than later. I even had it on order at my library; if we’re ever reading a book I’ve never heard of before, I prefer to borrow it rather than splash my cash.
But then I saw it sitting on shelf in Waterstones that was highlighting some of their best modern fantasy picks. It seemed to be in very good company, so I decided to pick it up, pre-earning it a spot on my own bookshelf back home.
I'm already about a third of the way through it, and I'm really enjoying it so far. It's a fun spin on a fantasy world where the 'five man band' trope has become so popular that 'bands' are viewed much the way music bands are in our world. Add some epic worldbuilding and some monsters and, yeah, this is pretty great.
Sourcery by Terry Pratchett
They say that the best way to read Terry Pratchett’s 30-plus Discworld novels is anything but their release order. Pratchett flitted and jumped between characters from book to book, and there’s no/little overarching plot to the series. New readers can simply start with the ‘best’ Discworld novels, or leap-frog releases in order to follow the adventures of a specific character.
Well, call me old-fashioned, but the release order does me just fine. Sourcery is Pratchett’s fifth Discworld novel. I generally only pick up these books on a whim when I’m travelling—I’ve no clue why. I will finish the series eventually, but it will take years to get through it at the pace I pick them up.
Nevertheless, the Discworld novels are hilarious and even though Sourcery isn’t considered one of the best, I got a nice hardcover in Hatchards that I’m looking forward to cracking open very soon.
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Also in Hatchards, I picked up a book that I’ve had my eye on for a long time. I really love Alex Garland’s 2018 film Annihilation, but have refrained from picking up the novel it’s based on simply because I wasn’t sure it would reach the heights of the movie which, again, I really do love.
Then I found out two things. One: Annihilation is the first book in a series—and if there was anything the movie left me wanting, it was more. Two: the publishers released new covers this year and they are amazing. The image here really doesn’t do justice to the reflective elements, though.
It really is a great-looking book, although I’d be surprised if I get around to reading it this side of 2025. What's it about? Oh, a meteor crashes into a forest and starts warping and combining the biology of the flora and fauna inside, resulting in abominations that maybe drive humans mad. I'm sure it'll be an easy read.
Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden
This one was a real shock. It caught my eye on a shelf in Gosh! Comics and I picked it up without knowing a thing about it. Turns out, this is a story set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. Maybe you’ve heard of it?
The Walking Dead was the first ever comic series that I collected single issues of, but it ended abruptly in 2019. I’m not sure where Clementine fits into the timeline of the original series, but given how many spin-offs the television adaptation of TWD received, it’s no surprise that we eventually got a comic-book spin-off.
Clementine: Book One was released in 2022. I managed to scoop a copy of the first printing signed by writer/artist Tillie Walden (the 200th copy, out of 200!). Clementine has received incredibly high praise from some giants of the comic book industry, and even though my love for TWD faded over the years (I never finished the show or the comics, despite my initial obsession), I’m looking forward to diving back in with this lovely-looking book
Daredevil: Guardian Devil
Okay, this one was also a bit of a shock. The Notting Hill Book Exchange is a famous second-hand bookstore, but right beside it is the Notting Hill Comic Exchange. I wasn’t even seeking this place out—we just happened across it in our wanderings.
The Comic Exchange was glorious. I’ve never seen so many high-quality second-hand comic book collections in one place. Several books caught my eye, but I left with a pristine copy of Daredevil: Guardian Devil, published in this form in 2010.
Originally written in 1999 by Kevin Smith, Guardian Devil was the first story arc following the first ever relaunch of the Daredevil series. I’ve read the story digitally, and personally, I’m not as huge a fan of it as everyone else seems to be. But Guardian Devil had been out of print for so long and it was a steal for £10, so I had to pick it up. Maybe I’ll prefer it as a re-read.
Batman: Three Jokers
I’ve been kinda following along with current Batman comics since the mid-2010’s, but man, it’s hard. There are just so many Batman stories. It’s overwhelming. For a good while, I was simply committed to reading the core Batman series, and ignored Bruce Wayne’s adventures with the Justice League, his many mini-series, and his big crossover event tie-ins.
This worked fine until an issue in the most recent Batman collection alluded to there being three Jokers. Huh? What? I’d seen Batman: Three Jokers on the shelves, but never paid it much heed. I figured it was an alternate-universe story or something. Turns out, maybe not?
I'm still not sure if this means there are three different dudes all pretending to be the same guy, or if it’s a multiple personality thing, but I am intrigued to read this story to find out what’s really going on here.
Ultimate X-Men Volume 1: Fears and Hates
Anything happening in Marvel’s current Ultimate Universe excites me (You can read my praise of Ultimate Spider-Man here). I love the worldbuilding of this Ultimate Universe, and I’m greatly looking forward to seeing how the X-Men will play a role in it.
All of the art, colour, and writing of this series is being done by Japanese creator Peach Momoko, so it’s no surprise that the story centres around the Japanese mutant Hisako Ichiki, a.k.a. Armor. Armor hasn’t appeared in any X-Men movies, but she’s been an incredibly popular character in the comics for twenty years or so.
She has visually cool powers, and although I have no clue about the plot of Fears and Hates, I’m really looking forward to seeing how an X-Men story with an unconventional lead like Armor unfolds in this new and dangerous Ultimate Universe.
Avengers: Twilight by Chip Zdarsky
An Avengers story! What’s it about? No clue! I’m pretty sure it’s an alternate-universe story where all the Avengers are older, but unlike the Ultimate Universe, this is a one-off story that isn’t expanding over time.
Writer Chip Zdarsky wrote an excellent Daredevil run recently (and is currently writing the core Batman series, too), so he’s earned a lot of goodwill from me. I’m checking out this story mostly because of him.
I got the Panini Comics printing of the book (which in the U.K. is cheaper than buying the version of the book imported from America), and Forbidden Planet knocked off £4 for some reason, so this was a steal.
I'm all for taking popular characters and remixing them in stories that couldn't fly in Marvel's 'main' universe. There's so much potential, so I'm excited to see where Zdarsky and Acuña take this story.
And we're done! My back is still sore from cramming everything in my backpack on the return journey—comic book collections are heavy—but at least I’ll be entertained while I recover.
Thanks for reading. If you liked it, consider checking out my wishlist or buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien or below.
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