Yet another #nerdconfession to make. I don’t  always read all my books the week I get ’em.  Sometimes I buy more books than I can possibly read over a weekend; or other times life’s obligations get in the way, so I have to put them to the side til the next available time slot.

Usually when I do that, I’ll wait til I’m 3-5 issues deep in a series, and then I’ll binge read ’em all. Such was the case with Survivors’ Club #’s 1-3. Issue #3 came out this week, and last night, unable to sleep, I read ’em all.

I was hooked from the first page as I read:

“Something bad happened to every one of us in 1987.”

Something bad happened to me too in 1987–I graduated from High School at the age of 16, and was thrust into college life wholly unprepared.

This one is bringing back a lot of memories: BBSs, Strip Poker on Amiga Commodore Computers, Arcades, and 80’s horror films. Some of these memories are welcomed, some are best forgotten–it is apropos that the evil arcade game in this book is named after ‘Akheron’, the ‘river of pain’ (one of the five rivers of the Greek Underworld).

The other two DC Vertigo titles I picked up were The Sheriff of Babylon and Unfollow.

Tom King’s name is ringing out everywhere. Supposedly this guy is ex-CIA, so nothing but positive reviews here–he can make me disappear. Just kidding … maybe?

Well, at least his writing is indeed really good. Really good. The Sheriff of Babylon is like Detective Comics set in Iraq. Makes sense since there seems to be some sort of precedent for that: spies becoming good writers (Chris Marlowe, Hemingway, Roald Dahl, Peter Matthiessen, Graham Greene, and Ian Fleming to name a few). Must be something about the attention to detail.

Rob William’s ‘Unfollow’ is moving along at a rapid clip, but not fast enough for me. The suspense is killing me. Right now I am rooting for the grizzly badass Deacon to win it all.

Here are the quotes (with some catching up on Survivors’ Club):

“Problem with the whole war. Y’know what it is? Chocolate … I’ve been here four months … and I haven’t seen one person give away Chocolate.”

Tom King, with Art by Mitch Gerads, The Sheriff of Babylon #1, DC Vertigo

“This is different. I was insane back then.”

“The Truth is my weapon.”

Rob Williams, with Art by Michael Dowling, Unfollow #2, DC Vertigo

“Something bad happened to every one of us in 1987.”

” … I stumbled on an index page for a cached BBS from 1987.”

“I would have been playing strip poker on my Amiga.”

Lauren Beukes & Dale Halvorsen, with Art by Ryan Kelly, Survivors’ Club #1, DC Vertigo

“His barks are worse than your bytes.”

Lauren Beukes & Dale Halvorsen, with Art by Ryan Kelly, Survivors’ Club #2, DC Vertigo

“Sorry Ronnie.  Auntie’s gotta eat.”

Lauren Beukes & Dale Halvorsen, with Art by Ryan Kelly, Survivors’ Club #3, DC Vertigo