The Sunday Salon: 2011 in Review

Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate it—but it’s also the last Sunday of the year, which means it’s time for my top ten list. As usual, these are my top reads of 2011, not the top published books of 2011. But I’ve also added my favorite film adaptation and my favorite audiobook of the year, since I’ve started really keeping those posts up. I was lucky enough to have a good handful of five star books, but that meant leaving off a lot of four and a half star books that I honestly loved off the list. I invite you to rifle through those categories to your right. And here’s 2010 in review and 2009 in review, if you’re so inclined. I think that’s all the housekeeping, so let’s get started.

Review: Batman: Holy Terror

Batman: Holy Terror by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle

Comics are, let’s be honest, hard to just jump into. I had to wait for Gotham City Sirens to make my first nervous foray into the current state of Gotham, but I’m glad I did. (The other titles I follow are non-superheroes.) I also happen to love alternate history, especially when it comes to exploring the minute choices that make us what we are. That’s probably why I’m so drawn to DC’s Elseworlds imprint—they’re not only one-shots you can just pick up without committing yourself to years and decades of back story, but they take familiar heroes and place them in different circumstances. I picked up Batman: Holy Terror (irrationally terrified I’d be put on some sort of watch list for putting such a title on hold) on the recommendation of MGK, whose blog you should really follow if you like comics at all.

The Literary Horizon: Batman: Holy Terror, Blue Beetle: Shellshocked

Having recently listed basically the bulk of my graphic novel collection on eBay, I’m quite in the mood for some graphic novels—DC, of course. I’m a DC girl, through and through; while I like Marvel’s films, there’s something too snarky and winking about it for me in the comics. I’m mostly an aficionado of Batman and the whole Batfamily, but I think it’s time to try something different. To that end, the very first Elseworlds graphic novel and the first installment in Jaime Reyes’ stint as the Blue Beetle ought to do quite nicely.