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Archie's Pal Jughead Archives Volume 1 by Various
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
As a kid, I was off and on with Archie Comics – I was more a fan of the Saturday morning cartoon version – and by junior high school or thereabouts, I’d switched exclusively to superhero comics. In any case, my favorite character in the Archieverse was always Jughead Jones. I identified with him on multiple levels as the non-conformist with the unfashionable hat who was a nice guy but just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble no matter how hard he tried. Also, hamburgers. Anyway, this is a collection of the first eight issues of Jughead’s solo title that launched in 1949, and I found it cheap at a clearance sale, so I thought it would be fun to see Jughead when he was first starting out.
And, well. The art is okay (though I much prefer the Dan Decarlo era, personally), but as for the writing and the humor … it hasn’t aged well, has it? It’s hard to read these comics today without thinking, “Gee, teenage kids would laugh at anything in 1949.” Not to mention the casual misogyny, slapstick violence resulting in slapstick hospitalization, etc.
On the other hand, it is kind of a twisted over-the-top take on mid-20th-century American teenage life, which was a relatively new thing after WW2 – teenage kicks, teenage romantic melodrama (i.e. the Archie/Betty/Veronica triangle), gender wars, bullies, crap jobs, crazy relatives, tyrannical teachers, and there’s Jughead trying to stay above it all. If nothing else, this collection confirms that – at least for me – Jughead is the one truly likeable character from the original series. Or at least the only one with a modicum of sense.
Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores by Dominique DuBois Gilliard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mass incarceration is a bit of a hot topic at the moment. This book isn't the first to tackle the issue, but it's arguably the first to do so from a Christian perspective that also takes the Christian church to task for being part of the problem. ECC pastor Dominique Du Bois Gilliard builds on the backs of similar books by Michelle Alexander, Bryan Stevenson and Christopher D. Marshall to present a compelling summation of the racist history of mass incarceration, the various elements that feed it (from Jim Crow and black codes to the war on drugs, private prisons, zero-tolerance policies, convict leasing, school-to-prison pipelines, locking up mentally ill people and more).
But he also argues that the church in America has contributed to this by supporting a criminal justice system that focuses on retributive punishment and policies that make reintegration into society almost impossible. Gilliard explores and criticizes the theological underpinnings of retributive justice, arguing that the Bible calls for restorative justice that truly rehabilitates offenders. He calls for the church to confess to its complicity in a racist and corrupt criminal justice system so that it can become an advocate for restorative justice, and gives examples of how this could be (and in certain communities has been) achieved.
Personally, I found his thesis convincing, compelling and well argued. Whether other readers will agree is likely going to depend on their political affiliations, which (if any) church they attend and their ability to approach this issue with an open mind. While the book is aimed primarily at a Christian audience, I think, if nothing else, non-Christians will find at least the first part of the book informative, and might even get something out of the rest of it.
Hilo: Saving the Whole Wide World by Judd Winick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is the second instalment of Hilo, a robot boy from another dimension who landed on Earth with very little memory of who (and what) he is, and is befriended by Earth kids DJ and Gina. Book 2 more or less takes up where Book 1 left off, as Hilo continues to find ways to pass himself off as a normal human kid and sets up a secret lab so he can track mysterious portals that are dumping weird robots and other beings around town. Hilo also learns more about his secret past. There’s also a giant chicken and a heroic talking cat named Polly.
It’s essentially a continuation of the first book in terms of narrative, tone and pace, and my opinion of it is pretty much the same – not quite my demo, but it’s good wacky fun, although there are indications this series could take a slightly darker tone as it goes on. Which is an observation, not a complaint. And the cliffhanger guarantees I’ll be tracking down Book 3. Well played, Winnick. Well played.
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
From the guy who has totally gotten away with making a living drawing stick-figure comic strips comes a book that is an extension of another section of his website that gives real scientific answers to the silliest hypothetical questions his followers can think up. For example: What would happen if literally everyone on Earth jumped up and down at the same time? How much Force power can Yoda output? How long could a nuclear submarine last in orbit? What would happen if the Earth stopped rotating but the atmosphere didn’t? From what height would you have to drop a steak so it would be fully cooked when it hit the ground?
This may be the best science book ever written. Or at least it’s the funniest and most entertaining one that I’ve read. Apart from the scientific analysis, Munroe also does a good job of getting the reader to look at a given problem from different angles – for example, when answering the question “Could you wipe out the common cold by separating everyone on earth for two weeks?”, Munroe considers the economic implications as well as whether it would actually work.
Also included are submitted questions too weird to answer and (of course) plenty of XKCD-style illustrations. Disappointingly, what’s not included (at least in my edition) is the question mentioned on the back cover blurb: “How many humans would a rampaging T-Rex need to eat each day?” But that’s a small quibble, since the answer is already on his site here. Anyway, it’s good fun. I don’t think you need to be a science fan to enjoy this, but it might help.
View all my reviews
Doing science to it,
This is dF
Archie's Pal Jughead Archives Volume 1 by VariousMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
As a kid, I was off and on with Archie Comics – I was more a fan of the Saturday morning cartoon version – and by junior high school or thereabouts, I’d switched exclusively to superhero comics. In any case, my favorite character in the Archieverse was always Jughead Jones. I identified with him on multiple levels as the non-conformist with the unfashionable hat who was a nice guy but just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble no matter how hard he tried. Also, hamburgers. Anyway, this is a collection of the first eight issues of Jughead’s solo title that launched in 1949, and I found it cheap at a clearance sale, so I thought it would be fun to see Jughead when he was first starting out.
And, well. The art is okay (though I much prefer the Dan Decarlo era, personally), but as for the writing and the humor … it hasn’t aged well, has it? It’s hard to read these comics today without thinking, “Gee, teenage kids would laugh at anything in 1949.” Not to mention the casual misogyny, slapstick violence resulting in slapstick hospitalization, etc.
On the other hand, it is kind of a twisted over-the-top take on mid-20th-century American teenage life, which was a relatively new thing after WW2 – teenage kicks, teenage romantic melodrama (i.e. the Archie/Betty/Veronica triangle), gender wars, bullies, crap jobs, crazy relatives, tyrannical teachers, and there’s Jughead trying to stay above it all. If nothing else, this collection confirms that – at least for me – Jughead is the one truly likeable character from the original series. Or at least the only one with a modicum of sense.
Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores by Dominique DuBois GilliardMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mass incarceration is a bit of a hot topic at the moment. This book isn't the first to tackle the issue, but it's arguably the first to do so from a Christian perspective that also takes the Christian church to task for being part of the problem. ECC pastor Dominique Du Bois Gilliard builds on the backs of similar books by Michelle Alexander, Bryan Stevenson and Christopher D. Marshall to present a compelling summation of the racist history of mass incarceration, the various elements that feed it (from Jim Crow and black codes to the war on drugs, private prisons, zero-tolerance policies, convict leasing, school-to-prison pipelines, locking up mentally ill people and more).
But he also argues that the church in America has contributed to this by supporting a criminal justice system that focuses on retributive punishment and policies that make reintegration into society almost impossible. Gilliard explores and criticizes the theological underpinnings of retributive justice, arguing that the Bible calls for restorative justice that truly rehabilitates offenders. He calls for the church to confess to its complicity in a racist and corrupt criminal justice system so that it can become an advocate for restorative justice, and gives examples of how this could be (and in certain communities has been) achieved.
Personally, I found his thesis convincing, compelling and well argued. Whether other readers will agree is likely going to depend on their political affiliations, which (if any) church they attend and their ability to approach this issue with an open mind. While the book is aimed primarily at a Christian audience, I think, if nothing else, non-Christians will find at least the first part of the book informative, and might even get something out of the rest of it.
Hilo: Saving the Whole Wide World by Judd WinickMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is the second instalment of Hilo, a robot boy from another dimension who landed on Earth with very little memory of who (and what) he is, and is befriended by Earth kids DJ and Gina. Book 2 more or less takes up where Book 1 left off, as Hilo continues to find ways to pass himself off as a normal human kid and sets up a secret lab so he can track mysterious portals that are dumping weird robots and other beings around town. Hilo also learns more about his secret past. There’s also a giant chicken and a heroic talking cat named Polly.
It’s essentially a continuation of the first book in terms of narrative, tone and pace, and my opinion of it is pretty much the same – not quite my demo, but it’s good wacky fun, although there are indications this series could take a slightly darker tone as it goes on. Which is an observation, not a complaint. And the cliffhanger guarantees I’ll be tracking down Book 3. Well played, Winnick. Well played.
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall MunroeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
From the guy who has totally gotten away with making a living drawing stick-figure comic strips comes a book that is an extension of another section of his website that gives real scientific answers to the silliest hypothetical questions his followers can think up. For example: What would happen if literally everyone on Earth jumped up and down at the same time? How much Force power can Yoda output? How long could a nuclear submarine last in orbit? What would happen if the Earth stopped rotating but the atmosphere didn’t? From what height would you have to drop a steak so it would be fully cooked when it hit the ground?
This may be the best science book ever written. Or at least it’s the funniest and most entertaining one that I’ve read. Apart from the scientific analysis, Munroe also does a good job of getting the reader to look at a given problem from different angles – for example, when answering the question “Could you wipe out the common cold by separating everyone on earth for two weeks?”, Munroe considers the economic implications as well as whether it would actually work.
Also included are submitted questions too weird to answer and (of course) plenty of XKCD-style illustrations. Disappointingly, what’s not included (at least in my edition) is the question mentioned on the back cover blurb: “How many humans would a rampaging T-Rex need to eat each day?” But that’s a small quibble, since the answer is already on his site here. Anyway, it’s good fun. I don’t think you need to be a science fan to enjoy this, but it might help.
View all my reviews
Doing science to it,
This is dF
