H over at The Comic Treadmill, opines: "Sunset City by Rob Osborne and published by AiT/Planet Lar qualifies as that rare creature – the pleasant surprise. Based on the concept, I didn’t expect to like this all... a captivating tale with an unlikely cast and setting for an engaging comic book story."

Just got this in the mail from my good friend Fabio Moon, of Smoke and Guns fame. What a great way for a pal to nudge you to send him an email:

KHEPRI.COM | TOP 05 GN OF 2005 | WEEK 44 (OCT 30 - NOV 05)

05. Switchblade Honey GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
04. Invincible v5 TPB (Image Comics)
03. 1000 Steps GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
02. Sharknife v1 GN (Oni Press)
01. Sunset City GN (AiT/Planet Lar)

Augie De Blieck, Jr. serves up the latest Pipeline where he gives the nod to January's Charlie Adlard, Master Illustrator offerings, and gives you a Pipeline World Exclusive peek at Joe Casey and Charlie's upcoming book, Rock Bottom.

Just back from a long weekend up at Sea Ranch to take a break from Making Comics Better, and I returned to find Russ Smith used part of his thirteenth Sturgeon's Law podcast to speak some kind words about the company in general and me in particular. "He thinks a lot about how comics can be better, and he really wants to make them so. I can't speak well enough of this guy as far as making comics a better place and obviously I hope the best for Larry and all of his endeavors. He definitely has changed the way I look at comics." Seriously, I sure do appreciate the kind words, Random.

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Sean Maher, meanwhile, has an in-depth look at Sunset City: "Frank’s choice, while on some level a morally justified one, is simplistic and brutal. It seems to bring a positive resolution to the story, but somehow I’m unsatisfied – and a little unsettled – by his choice. A second read, however, reveals an interesting angle from which to approach it. The whole book, see, is filled with parallels: Frank’s home gets a landscape shot during the day, and towards the end, another one at night. Frank’s face gets a full-page spread as he mourns his wife, alone in his living room, and another one once he’s shocked back into awareness by the killing of the young robbers. Likewise, I think Frank’s final grab for vitality has a parallel early in the story, albeit a less obvious one."

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And can I get a witness for H's tour de force review of Surviving Grady over at The Comic Treadmill today? I know there's not a lot of overlap of folks who think there's a Carl Yastrzemski robot underneath The Green Monster, waiting to be reactivated against the day the world needs him most, and the folks who know which issue of Amazing was the first appearance of the black costume. But in that hallowed slice, that overlap of brotherhood... in that area live men and yes, women as well who glory in the genius that is Tim and Tom. To wit: "McCarney and Deady are crazed, articulate guys who know how to enjoy being baseball fans and know how to impart the joy to the reader. That’s not to say these guys aren’t mostly, if not completely, nuts. I know if I saw them coming down the concourse in Fenway, I’d turn the other way – and fast. You wouldn’t want to sit next to them at the game and they know that. But their manic observations of what makes a baseball season worth following come across loud and clear in this frantic mad house guided tour of the 2004 Red Sox World Championship season... But the one area where the Red Sox insist on hindering their chances to succeed – and where, therefore, I assume the right to bitch and moan about - is at the third base coach position where they insist on hiring the biggest right arm flapping dolts they can find. I can think of nothing nice to say about Sveum’s skills as a third base coach. McCarney and Deady say the nasty things I’m thinking. And I thank them for it... It’s a quick, fun read and, like all the best books about one team’s single season, you only have to be a fan of baseball in general, not the Red Sox in particular, to nod your head and recognize yourself in a lot of the maniacal moments of the fans’ journey through the season. Good stuff."

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Also, on a ridiculously proud-of-myself note, it seems that Heidi over at The Beat is giving the thumb's-up photographically that Thomas Hayden Church is playing The Sandman in Spider-Man 3, which seems to confirm my prediction of the storyline made back in July in Loose Cannon. I spend a lot of time looking at the tea leaves, y'know.