New 52 Year 0.5: Wonder Woman

We've reached the halfway point of New 52: Year One, and it seems like a good time to go back and look at some of the most outstanding series in total so far. So for the next month, I am going to choose a book each week, read all six issues, and jot down some general thoughts and reactions. This week: Wonder Woman!

Laura's 100 Books in 2012 - #8

Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison

I love movies and books set in England from the late 18th century until the early 20th century. Pride and Prejudice is what usually comes to mind. Lately, I have been watching (and obsessing over) Downton Abbey on PBS (Sunday nights!). So I was hooked when I saw this book at Books-A-Million. Of course, I HAD to buy it. It was calling my name.

Rosina Harrison was a lady's maid for Lady Nancy Astor for 35 years and had a lot to tell. According to Rose, Lady Astor was a pill and a half. She traveled all over the world, and there never seemed to be a dull moment around her. In no way is this a "let me tell you all the juicy gossip about my former boss" kind of book. By reading the book, I can tell that Rose loved Lady Astor, even if she was a hard woman to love.

Rose tells very interesting stories about a way of life that no longer exists. The only gripe I have about the book is that she jumps around a lot and the amount of characters can be daunting and hard to keep up with. However, if you are interested in the "upstairs/downstairs" life that made the English aristocracy run for so long, this is your window.

Community returns!!!

Creator Dan Harmon just confirmed on Twitter that Community will resume airing on Thursday, March 15th at 8/7 central.  Don't be tardy!!!

New 52 Third Wave Pitch: Zatanna

Over the next few weeks, I am going to try and post a few proposals for DC's eventual New 52: Third Wave. Mostly, they are the dream comics I would like to see, but have very little chance of actually happening.

Laura's 100 Books in 2012 - #7

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I'm going to start right out of the gate and say that I loved this book. I love learning about history, but it's even more awesome when someone turns history on it's head. The overall theme when learning about Abraham Lincoln in school was that he was a good, fair man. You never really attach the phrase "action figure" to ole Abe. This book makes you look at him differently, even though it's through a fictional lens.

Seth Grahame-Smith is a never-was author that is married with kids and runs an old store. One day a customer reveals something to Seth that turns his world upside down. Seth's customer shows him never before seen diaries of former president Abraham Lincoln.  The rest of the novel, is an epistolary (thank you Wikipedia) novel told through historical facts and Lincoln's newly discovered diaries. Oh, did I mention that the diaries are about the time that Lincoln killed vampires? Starting from a young age and after a family tragedy, Abraham Lincoln was one of the most prolific vampire hunters in the country. Move over Buffy!

The book does such an excellent job of moving between the fictional (or is it?) killing of vampires to the historical life of our 16th President. Grahame-Smith also creates an interesting back story as to how vampires became so widespread without being known to the public. I highly recommend reading it and I'm now excited to see what they do with the movie that is coming out sometime this year.

If you like looking at history in a different way, check out the mock (and somewhat scary) documentary called C.S.A: The Confederate States of America.

Comic Mini-Reviews Week of February 15th, 2012

This week Uncanny X-men is boring, Batman fights back, and Daredevil descends into the underground.

What Would Darren Read, Home Edition (Feb. 15th)

Can you guess which cover Darren disliked the most? Hint: He hates covers where people are upside-down.

FIGcast - Episode 52 - "Bonus Tacos"

"No thanks, I don't want those complimentary bonus tacos." <== Sh*t no person ever says

FIGcast - Episode 52 - "Bonus Tacos"

Shownotes:

• (00:00:00) Darren went to a play, ate fancy Mexican food, and played some trivia
• (00:01:10) Trey watched some more DS9, tried to watch X-Men: Evolution, and celebrated his Name Day
• (00:11:55) Tripp did nothing, so we decided to talk about the new superhero movie trailers
• (00:32:45)  TV Talk: (lots of new episodes this week, plus Trey watched Grimm!!)
• (00:39:30) Blu Rays: (The Rum Diary...Doctor Who Christmas 2011)
• (00:41:45) Coming Attractions: (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance...This Means War...The Secret World of Arrietty)
• (00:48:45) Box Office: (Channing Tatum wins!!!)
• (00:51:45) Keith talks Comic Book Men and Whitney Houston
• (00:58:05) We respond to Keith's call, and Trey tells us about his new DC Pitch
• (01:30:00) What Would Darren Read
• (01:44:35) Trey's Pullbox:  (Batman...Birds of Prey...Daredevil...Green Lantern Corps...Uncanny X-Men...Wonder Woman...Winter Soldier...Star Trek/Legion)

Don't forget, you can email us at FullyIntegratedGeeks@gmail.com, you can follow us on Twitter with @theFIGcast, or you can look for us on Facebook or the iTunes Store.