On Thursday, September 7, Warner Books/Hachette Books held a book signing party at the Headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in DC. This was an invitation only party during which Brad announced that if you’re not part of his family or the publishing company, you’re a friend — you’ve been “part of the family” since the first book (Tenth Justice). And Holly and I have been.

I’ve read every single one of Brad’s books and one of his comic books (Identity Crisis). He’s an excellent writer and his books are real “page turners”. I don’t ever remember any slow spots but there are always points in each of his books where it’s like that big, final hill on a rollercoaster: from that point, the pace picks up and you can’t put it down.

After buying his new book, The Book of Fate (which I haven’t started yet), Holly and I got in line to have him sign the book.
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After reading The Dark Knight Returns, I had to get my hands on the sequel: The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

Set three years after The Dark Knight Returns, the government is working to stifle peoples’ freedoms. The president is a puppet of Lex Luthor and Brainiac. Superman seems to be a puppet too.

Batman, Catgirl (Carrie Kelly) and their small army of “batmen” and superheroes (Green Arrow, Atom, Flash, Plastic Man, Elongated Man) fight, again, to right the world. In their way is Superman, who is being blackmailed with the miniature city of Kandor.
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I had read The Death and Life of Superman before. But after seeing the Justice League Unlimited episode “Hereafter” where the world (and the Justice League) has to move on after Superman’s funeral, I wanted to read it again.

The novelized version of the comic book has three sections, mirroring the comic books: Doomsday, Funeral For a Friend and Reign of the Supermen.

After a brief telling (mostly through memories) of Superman’s history, we learn that Clark has proposed to Lois (she said yes) and he told her his secret. While giving a rare interview, Superman learns that the Justice League is fighting (and losing to) a huge villian: Doomsday. He abruptly leaves the interview to join the battle.
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Marvel’s 1602 is an 8 issue series that puts Marvel villians and heroes in the year 1602.

I have to admit, I’m not very familiar with Marvel’s heroes. I know Spiderman from the movies and the cartoons. I only know X-men from the movies. And I had heard of Nick Fury (and Michael Knight… er… David Hasselhoff’s TV movie), but knew nothing about him. When I first started reading, I was bored and couldn’t get into the story because I didn’t associate with the characters I had seen so far: Fury and Dr. Strange.

Since I had borrowed the books, I didn’t want to hold onto them too long and I at least wanted to read through it. So, I gave it a second shot. Almost immediately after getting past my previous attempt, I was hooked (dang, had I read one more page). I was hooked.
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Robert Ludlum passed away in 2001. He’s probably best known for his “Bourne” series that have recently turned into Matt Damon movies. I LOVED the “Bourne” books… tolerated the movies. In 2005, his estate releases a new book: The Ambler Warning. It’s unclear to me whether this was a completely ghostwritten book or if it was an unfinished (or unpolished) book that was completed after his death.

The book opens with Hal Ambler in a high security government phsycho ward. He doesn’t remember how or why he got there, he just knows he has to get out…
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