I got a few new books under the tree this year: Mars Attcks 50th Anniversary Collection, Rudyard Kipling’s Tales of Horror & Fantasy, and Darth Vader and Son (pictured)
I also got gift certificates for Legends Books & Comics and Russel Books. I spent some of those after Christmas on some more reading material: two vegetarian cookbooks plus Chester Brown’s The Little Man, short strips 1980-1995 and The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, a strange book full of fanciful things with contributions by Holly Black, Mike Mignola, Garth Nix, Cherie Priest and many others.
As I have been adding books to my GoodReads lists, I also read two that were quick to go through — Mars Attacks and Darth Vader and Son — and added them toward my goal of 24 books in 2013. I hope to add reviews for all the books I read this year, so here are the first two, brief as they are.
Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is so sweet; mixing typical father-son activities with Star Wars characters and locations and even quotes from the films, though in completely different contexts. Highly recommended reading for any parent.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My introduction to Mars Attacks was via the Tim Burton film. From there, I learned that it was based on trading cards from the 1960s; this book is a beautiful look back at those cards. Following an introductory essay, the book showcases cards from the original series, from the 1994 run, outtakes that were too violent for the early series, and tie-ins with other card series. Concept art plus an afterword about the artist fills out “everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask” about Mars Attacks. Great addition to any sci-fi fan’s or graphic artist’s bookshelf.