The Massive #17 @ Comics Bulletin

I teamed up with Keith Silva and we kicked around The Massive #17, specifically the three central mysteries of the series, over at Comics Bulletin.

Thirteen Minutes Nominated For 2013 BEST WEBSITE

I’m humbled yet again to report that Thirteen Minutes was nominated for the fourth year running in the category of BEST WEBSITE at the annual PCG “Paradoscars” (formerly the Paradox Comics Group "Oscars”). There are some outstanding nominees in all categories, while the competition in this category is pretty stiff. This year, I'm up against Comic Book Resources (CBR), Rich Johnston’s Bleeding Cool, and Comic Vine.

The nomination means a lot to me because it comes from people I count as true peers in the industry, my friends from across the pond at The PCG. While we don’t always agree, the crew posts plenty of timely reviews that are well-observed, articulate, and filled with lively opinions. It’s one of my daily web stops and I hope it becomes one of yours as well.

Despite my surprise win in this category in 2011, I'm still very much an underdog against the big boys, so I'm shamelessly asking for your support. Please get out and vote for all your favorites at their Facebook page. If you’ve enjoyed any of my work, please vote, blog, tweet, and encourage your friends to do the same! VOTE NOW: www.facebook.com/groups/thePCG/

LIL: Volume One @ Comics Bulletin

I reviewed the noir punch of LIL: Volume One from the UK-based duo of Michael Young and Marc Crane over at Comics Bulletin.

11.20.13 [Weekly Reviews]

"Weekly Reviews" is a column brought to you with generous support from our retail sponsor Yesteryear Comics. Make Yesteryear Comics your first and only destination in San Diego for great customer service and the best discounts possible on a wide selection of mainstream and independent titles. Customers receive an attractive 20% discount on new titles during their first week of release. Yesteryear Comics is located at 9353 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

A Voice In The Dark #1 (Image): I was pleasantly surprised to like this as much as I did. Larime Taylor creates a convincing portrait of Young Disaffected Millennials that is firmly in-voice and authentic. He combines this sort of girls-away-at-college bildungsroman, with the FBI serial killer profiling panache of John Douglas (someone who I studied closely in Federal law enforcement). Taylor is careful to directly and tactfully address all manner of hot button social issues, from budding sexuality, and hardcore bullying, to the general sense of isolation modern tech-permeated society breeds. You can see all the potential for the plot threads to converge, the radio show, the sister, the uncle cop, and it could be quite a shocking ride. Taylor’s art (done with his mouth, digitally no less, since he doesn’t have the use of his hands!) is full of bold line weights and emotional gray scale that brings things to life nicely. Grade A.

The Wake #5 (DC/Vertigo): I’ll buy anything that Sean Murphy is handling the art for, but the writing really takes center stage this issue. While I do think there is still some overtly staged exposition dumps and monologuing occurring, what’s actually being said is always compelling. Scott Snyder makes a daring move, by breaking his 10 issue opus into two easily discernible 5-issue chunks, one basically pre-apocalyptic, with the promise of the post-apocalyptic chunk to follow. The Wake spans millions of years, flashbacks to the dawn of time, present day high-adventure (cool sub, bro), and the aforementioned future, yet still manages to feel neatly self-contained. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s something downright James Cameron-esque about this, and I won’t be at all surprised when we see WB exercise the automatic option on this Vertigo property. It’s a summer blockbuster waiting to happen. Grade A.

Sex Criminals #3 (Image): I’ve been kind of a passive SexCrims fan up until this point, for me it’s been a book like Saga that I found merely “good,” but not as “OMG GREAT” as the rest of teh interwebs. The parts I appreciate are how this is primarily a very sweet love story (really!), merely masquerading around in the trappings of sexual window dressing. There’s the frank discussions of budding sexuality that are all too lacking in pop fiction, and by the time Fraction does what he does, in some weird hymen-breaking cherry pop of fourth wall destruction (sorry, couldn’t resist), I was pretty smitten with what was going down. I still can’t really believe they went ahead and did what they did, how they did it, and sustained it for more than a panel or two. It’s proof yet again that not only can comics do what no other medium can, but Creator Owned Comics @ Image Comics can do what no other comics can. Grade A.

Todd The Ugliest Kid On Earth #7 (Image): Oh, it’s just the funniest book currently being published. Ken Kristensen and MK Perker have married in-your-face hilarity with a biting take down of social ills, and wrapped it up in this zany irreverent package. Kristensen amps up the double entendre and wordplay in this issue, while Perker continues to make believable an oblivious but lovable kid with a bag on his head taking on the forces of Hell. There’s deep commentative wisdom hidden somewhere in these pages, but I’ll be damned if I can find it, I’m too busy laughing and shaking my head in disbelief. Grade A.

X-Men #7 (Marvel): I adore Monet St. Croix. I imagine she is the type of superhero I’d probably end up being. Deeply intelligent, with lots of attitude on the surface, but deep down a heart and the capacity to do what’s right when the situation truly warrants it. Oh, and the ego. Did I mention the ego? I’ve never been a huge Dodsons fan, but they seem to tone down the more cheesecake elements in their style, in favor of a glossy straightforward approach to storytelling, with memorable character designs. Lady Deathstrike is (kinda’) back y’all, and it’s up to this impromptu (but self-aware about it!) squad of women X-Men to set things right. It’s great to see this title back on track after writer Brian Wood’s first four issues that essentially got derailed by the latest crossover event, and picking up some of the macro plot thread with Jubilee, Karima, Arkea, Storm/Rachel, et al that he put into motion. Grade A.

Wasteland #50 (Oni Press): I can’t believe there are only 10 issues left of this book! I congratulated the creators for hitting that #50 benchmark, because in this day and age, hitting an uninterrupted, un-renumbered, un-mucked-around-with “natural” #50 with a stable creative team is a rare thing for ANY comic, especially an indie comic from a small press publisher. Antony Johnston and Justin Greenwood are delivering the last vestiges of our time at NewBegin and (without spoiling anything) there is action, drama, exciting switcheroos, and real gravitas to absolutely anything that occurs. I’m sure most readers want to see more of Michael and Abi, but you can’t really get to there, without doing this here first. Obtuse? I don’t care! If you’re not already reading Wasteland, there’s nothing I can say at this point to sway you. So. Please read Umbral by Antony Johnston and Chris Mitten. Please read The Fuse by Antony Johnston and Justin Greenwood. Please read Creator Owned Comics. Get on board early so you’re not playing catch up 50 issues later and we can actually have some conversation. Ahem. End Rant. Grade A.

Sheltered #5 [Advance Review]

Sheltered #5 (Image): I did some sort of weird reverse gasp when I cracked this issue open, as the full page opener rendered by Johnnie Christmas and Shari Chankhamma literally took my breath away. Their compositions are so smart and striking, the rich juxtaposition between how the light and smoke of the fire in the foreground counterbalances against the snowy skyline in the background. They help writer Ed Brisson marry his affection for low-budget sordid crime tales and the high concept du jour (pre-) apocalyptic genre so well. Christmas is particularly good at emotions and intent being carried in facial expressions. We begin to see a power shift in this issue that highlights a theory of social influence I read about years ago when I was wasting a decade working in the annals of Corporate America. The theory essentially suggested that the average mass of people will break down into thirds once you try to exert influence over them: one third will actively support you and acquiesce, one third will come off neutral or indifferent, and one third will actively resist and fight against you. Readers can now start their pools and place bets on the characters being fleshed out and who goes which way under the de facto leadership of Lucas. Speaking of Lucas, he’s a masterful spin doctor (ok, let’s just say “manipulator”) who tries to crack down even tighter in an effort to maintain his precarious grasp on Safe Haven, but as the saying goes, the tighter you try to squeeze grains of sand, the more they just slip through your fingers… I really enjoyed seeing new alliances being forged by people who either suspect or know the truth about what happened to Chris. I won’t spoil it, but the close of this first arc comes with an “AWW, C’MON!” cliffhanger that will have lasting repercussions that shake up the externalities of the status quo, which has to this point been driven solely by internalities. There’s also another dose of backmatter by Ryan K. Lindsay, this time discussing the threat of Solar Storms. He manages to keep his half pragmatic / half paranoid voice in play, with references to Fantastic Four and “Black Swan Events,” something we used to discuss in crisis management contingencies, and a personal favorite term I last saw being used in ABC’s cancelled-before-its-time show Flash Forward. Backmatter Is As Backmatter Does, and this one is a subtle form of entertainment that bolsters the main course. If you’re missing Sheltered, you’re missing out on one of the hottest new books of the year, which still probably hasn’t realized it’s full subcultural social phenomenon potential as “The Next The Walking Dead.” Note: The first TPB is out in December, with the series resuming with #6 in January. #TeamVictoria Grade A.

Conan The Barbarian #22 [Advance Review]

Conan The Barbarian #22 (Dark Horse): DMZ alum Riccardo Burchielli joins Brian Wood for the beginning of the end of his run on The Queen of The Black Coast Era, entitled “The Song of Belit.” In some ways, it seems that Belit’s Song is akin to the mythological Siren’s Song. Conan describes her song as the silence that follows an irresistible succession of passion and pain. Wood really pushes the tone of the story toward a melange of foreboding notes of horror, mystery, and a discussion of the utility surrounding belief in the Gods. The couple venture into waters as toxic as the willingness to blindly follow a cause. It’s easy to admire the sense of inborn fatalism that Wood imbues these characters with, Conan seems to function with a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” attitude. If your belief is that you’re going to be just as lost in whatever afterlife as you are wandering the Earthly plane in pursuit of the fleeting, then why not adopt a carpe diem-like mantra that allows you to live in the moment and revel in what Metric would describe as “Gold, Guns, Girls.” Conan does confess that Belit has been his “shining light” that’s punctuated all the dreariness, but readers won’t escape the feeling that something terrible is on the horizon, just out of our periphery of comprehension at present. As good as I found the dark tone, suiting what I’ve been feeling personally lately as a darkness in the world wherein people just ruin everything, the real star of this issue is Riccardo Burchielli and his sharp chiseled art. Burchielli absolutely has a mastery of human anatomy and how to bend it to his will. With protruding jaw lines for Conan and sumptuous lips for Belit, there’s danger, always danger, lurking just below the surface of his lines. That was the case with how he rendered the sub-text of war-torn New York City in DMZ, and it’s the case here, whether it’s the environs of a dark river or the eerie chill of a forgotten Ghost City. Burchielli’s art possesses a depth of field created with either layered backgrounds or altered figure scale that definitively sells whatever world he’s helping to build. In a book that’s already been “can’t miss,” this feels like it’ll have all the makings of a “can’t miss” arc that sticks a big period on a creative swan song. Grade A+.

8 Years @ Thirteen Minutes

Today marks 8 years of writing about comics at Thirteen Minutes, which means only 2 years to go!

An Afternoon In Ueno @ Poopsheet Foundation

I reviewed Graeme McNee's great new book over at Poopsheet Foundation.

11.13.13 [Weekly Reviews]

"Weekly Reviews" is a column brought to you with generous support from our retail sponsor Yesteryear Comics. Make Yesteryear Comics your first and only destination in San Diego for great customer service and the best discounts possible on a wide selection of mainstream and independent titles. Customers receive an attractive 20% discount on new titles during their first week of release. Yesteryear Comics is located at 9353 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

Manifest Destiny #1 (Image): So, this is my new favorite thing. Chris Dingess, Matthew Roberts, and Owen Gieni pull off a perfect blend of fiction and non-fiction with their inventive take on the Lewis & Clark “Corps of Discovery” Expedition. I often joke that I’ve been reviewing comics so long that I can actually judge a book by its cover now. I know with about 97% accuracy if I’m going to like a book or not just by looking at it, as awful as that might sound. I knew I’d like Manifest Destiny with a casual glance, and cracking open that first page only confirmed the feeling. There’s an enveloping sense of openness to the wild frontier that’s laid out before them in that shot of a group of diminutive boats navigating a river. I’ll be “that guy” for one small second and say that while Captain Merriwether Lewis was indeed commanding the mission, “Captain Clark” was technically a Second Lieutenant who was denied promotion. However, I think that for the sake of expediency, the creators probably just chose to call him Captain Clark since Lewis was pretty insistent in real life that his friend share equal billing and co-command, despite official rank. We’ll see if they get into the controversy surrounding Lewis’ death by series end, but I’m getting way ahead of myself and digressing. Needless to say, I really enjoy this period of history. Dingess and Roberts make a key decision up front that starts to showcase how they’ll marry fact and fiction so seamlessly. Lewis is chronicling their journey, but essentially keeping a set of shadow journals. One is the official record of their congressional mission, while one is an unofficial classified document, seeking to investigate President Jefferson’s claims, based on maybe French whispers, that there’s something… more… out in the frontier besides Indians. Dingess writes intelligently, whether it’s the prose Lewis uses to describe the mission, the assured swagger of Clark and his adherence to the military traditions his family excelled at, or all of the different motivations the men have for taking part, from promotions to pardons to promises of land. This allows the creators to quickly lay seeds for both internal and external threats to the mission, as some start to suss out the expendable nature of their presence, and the discord in the ranks that brews. I was not familiar with the art of Matthew Roberts before, but holy shit, it’s really grand. There’s a gorgeous consistency to it. He’s able to nail all of the historical details with the gear and weapons. There’s a bit with two flintlock pistols blazing that actually made me cry out a satisfied “YES!” as I was reading. I loved the burst of energy, followed by seeing them still smoking. That slowly descends into the unknown and fictitious. There’s an arch, looking conspicuously like the one in St. Louis, that’s made out of natural materials. I loved the way that Roberts and colorist Owen Gieni show the sun lighting the men’s faces as they look up, how the shadows are so expertly cast down. It’s evidence that this creative team is taking the time to put in the extra effort, the extra details, all the small elements that make a story sing both narratively and visually. The washed out flashbacks, the overhead shots, and the speed lines are all there, suggesting what a labor of love this series may represent for them. This all gives way to a scene where one of the officers is taken down by something, by a blur, by what looks to be a centaur(?!). It is glorious. It’s a full page magnificent reveal that further punctuates just what this book aims to do. Manifest Destiny taps into the mystery of what was only scantly mentioned in history books for almost 100 years. It’s the faux real story of what happened on Lewis & Clark’s Expedition. It’s historical speculative fiction in the grandest tradition. It’s historical and inventive and fun and adventurous and gorgeous and well-written. It’s like it was made just for me. I loved every second of it. Grade A+.

Unity #1 (Valiant): I so love these infographics that are all over the Valiant line. Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite join the Valiant creative stable to chronicle Aric of Dacia’s “invasion” of Romania in the X-O Manowar armor. Needless to say, the world’s reaction isn’t very positive, especially with the noted ferocity of the Russians. Braithwaite is a better artist than most of the Valiant crew, so he helps depict the war and Russian threat of nuclear attack, “like ozone and gunpowder mixed with sweat, dirt, and blood.” It’s great. This prompts Toyo Harada’s involvement, as a man who deeply abhors nuclear weapons. He quickly calls on Gilad, The Eternal Warrior, and covert operative Ninjak. Harada is one of those “make the world a better place” guys, and you should always be leery of anyone wielding that kind of power, especially when it’s under the guise of autonomous benevolence. I really liked the inclusion of Gilad, displaying his multi-generational knowledge of military tactics. His experience is visually backed up by Braithwaite’s rendition of his tattered face. Braithwaite’s art is full of lush background work, with striking figures in the foreground. I enjoyed the balance between things like the gleam of the Manowar armor and Ninjak skulking around in the shadows. It’s interesting to discover that the titular “Unity” is the name of yet another team of Harada’s Harbinger Foundation psiots. Aric is always one step ahead though, and in a ballsy writing move, Matt Kindt absolutely demolishes this team like two pages after introducing them. I mean, Aric blasts The Captain with an incredible gleam of color, so harshly and so decisively, that the dude’s flaming head punctures another guy’s torso(!). The way Kindt is writing this, it feels very organic and not contrived. It’s a logical sequence of events and inclusion of players given what we know about the Valiant Universe. I’m not one for event books, but this was really quite strong, quite daring, and quite enjoyable. Grade A.

Three #2 (Image): Well, the small scale Helot uprising is dealt with by the visiting Spartans, and this sets some disturbing events into motion, as slaves who fought back are now on the run. Ryan Kelly’s off-kilter panels emphasize the jarring nature of the violence occurring in this early sequence. There are still times when Kelly’s faces feel a little “off” and flat, especially at the 3/4 angle, which is something I noted on his Star Wars arc. But, with Jordie Bellaire on colors, they do a great job depicting the shadows and rain, and all of writer Kieron Gillen’s thematic issues around the fight or flight instinct, the nature vs. nurture proposition, and lots of hard action. I think the first issue was criticized a bit for sacrificing entertainment in favor of historical accuracy, which sometimes felt too didactic. While this issue does get very talky by the end, and I’m not certain where the series is going beyond that point of accuracy in the face of other pop media incarnations, but that said, I’m enjoying the close quarters examination of the culture, of sexuality, military socialization, the gender politics, and the internal politics around the class system. As is becoming increasingly the case, I was very pleased to see another book with backmatter, this time a conversation with the consulting professor, especially considering that it’s an interview, which is basically what I’m working on for Vertigo at the moment as a freelancer. Grade A-.

Wraith: Welcome to Christmasland #1 (IDW): Joe Hill’s latest entry into the world of comic books has some very intriguing art by CP Wilson III, but that’s basically the extent of the positive things I can say. Wilson’s layouts are sometimes inventive, like the way the credits box hangs down like an old sign from a building, and I liked the visuals of some of the creepy snowmen clad in Civil War era kippy hats or Native American headdress, as well as the creepy moon guy. The problem is that there’s an inordinate amount of thick dense un-engaging text to slog through. At times, it’s literally framed as a one-sided conversation staged to actually optimize exposition. It’s awful. There was one quarter-page panel that had 3 big text boxes with 95 words. I thought that was bad until I encountered another quarter-page panel that had 5 text boxes with 175 words! I think I read somewhere that the average comic book panel has something like 27 or 28 words of text or dialogue in it(?). The fact that I was so distracted and pushed out that I felt compelled to even stop and count the words isn’t a very good sign. It’s like 90% tell and 10% show, which puts that equation way lopsided. I have no sense of what was occurring or why. I didn’t read Hill’s NOS4A2 novel that this ties into, but this felt like a novel got crammed into a comic. I like Locke & Key, but I did not like this. Grade C+.

Star Wars #11 [The Wood Pile]

Star Wars #11 (Dark Horse): I love this book! If you’re talking sheer unqualified enjoyment, then this is the book I most look forward to reading every month. It’s like some sort of confectionary treat that delights the eyes and tickles the brain and makes you squee with uncontrollable fanboy glee. When I read this book, I get that nostalgic feeling that I’m witnessing something so pure and concentrated, for the very first time. My mind always drifts back to being 6 years old and what it felt like sitting in the theatre watching Empire Strikes Back on the big screen (I was a little too young to catch Star Wars in the theatre), and even getting choked up with emotion when Han was frozen in carbonite. I always hesitate to use terms like “perfect” or “flawless,” but Brian Wood and Carlos D’Anda’s time on this book makes it so tempting. This issue is non-stop action and engagement, with Birrah Seah fleeing Darth Vader’s wrath after failing at her task to snare a couple of young rebels (one of them called Skywalker), Imperial Star Destroyer Devastator assaulting the Rebel Fleet in that cocksure way the Empire does so well, Luke and Wedge trying to sneak their way back to the fleet hiding in plain sight in TIE Interceptors, and Perla making Han an offer he simply can’t refuse, half out of grounded pragmatism, and half out of smuggler's awe. The entire issue is basically one long succession of little moments that made me smile and chuckle to myself about what a great time I was having reading the book. D’Anda’s action is always crystal clear and full of little details that “sell” what he’s rendering, thinking through things like the depiction of the energy shield around the Mon Calamari Cruiser, and what blasts would look like impacting that. I really liked the shots of Mon Mothma getting jostled around in the corridors of Home One on her way to the War Room/Ops Center where she looked so svelte in her trench coat, the lone woman commanding the other (male) rebel officers on duty. This is hands down the coolest that Mon Mothma has ever looked. D’Anda took what could otherwise come off as dated designs for her and gave her a regal but utilitarian edge that’s an instant hit. Princess Leia is returning from her time away at the remnants of Alderaan and comes in hot to the hangar bay. All of the ships that make these combat landings into the hangar bay are examples of the many moments where the book elevates itself beyond mere writing proficiency and artistic skill and just taps into an indescribable “cool” factor. While Wood is busy lacing the story with auditory callbacks like “cut the chatter” and “lock s-foils in attack position” to line up his LucasFilm consistencies, D’Anda brings so much visual thunder. There’s the close-up on Luke’s face as he’s asking about Prithi, how the rebel pilots' helmets look so used and battered and grimy compared to the pristine gleam of the Interceptor pilots, the way that he draws a panel with an X-Wing pilot upside down because without gravity there’s really no “right side up” in space, and all of the crazy skewed panel angles and camera placements that emphasize the chaos and claustrophobic disorientation of the target-rich space battles. You can hardly catch your breath and keep frenetic pace with everything that’s happening in this issue and the amazing visual wonderland, so when the final startling reveal occurs, all you have left is the ability to just flip the page back and forth to verify you're reading what you think you're reading and then bellow out a joyous “WTF?!” at what happened, one which instantly makes you want to go back and reread the entire series to look for clues or how this new information might color a second reading. Brian Wood and Carlos D’Anda’s Star Wars run has taken the prize for the most “A+” marks I’ve ever given any series. It truly has it all, brains, action, and heart. It captures a sense of fun and sensory immersion that sort of defies critique and embodies what these types of comics are supposed to be all about - escapist wonderment. If you’re not buying it, you’re missing one of the highest watermarks the property has ever attained. Grade A+.

Umbral #1 @ Fanboy Comics

I wrote an advance review of Umbral #1, the new hotness from Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten, over at Fanboy Comics.

The Wild One @ Poopsheet Foundation

I reviewed the new book by Laila Milevski over at Poopsheet Foundation.

11.06.13 [Weekly Reviews]

"Weekly Reviews" is a column brought to you with generous support from our retail sponsor Yesteryear Comics. Make Yesteryear Comics your first and only destination in San Diego for great customer service and the best discounts possible on a wide selection of mainstream and independent titles. Customers receive an attractive 20% discount on new titles during their first week of release. Yesteryear Comics is located at 9353 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

Trillium #4 (DC/Vertigo): Trillium reminds me of the kind of classic science fiction that played around with time travel, future speculation, and tried to examine societal composition. It’s full of rich moments written and drawn by Jeff Lemire that juxtapose old and new, familiar and unknown, and has fun with age-old sci-fi tropes like language translators and the caustic nature of “we-them” paradigms. With the conflux of cultures and subdued love interests, for some reason it also kept reminding me of The Fountain, which saw both a graphic novel by Darren Aronofsky and Kent Williams, and eventually a film directed by Aronofsky starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. The film bombed, but I liked it in both iterations as a time-spanning love story with stylized art. So, I guess if Warner Brothers ever exercises their option on adapting Trillium to film, I vote for Darren Aronofsky to direct. Rachel Weisz has the grit to play Nika, though I’d certainly find someone other than Hugh Jackman for the male parts. Grade A.

East of West #7 (Image): Before you realize what’s happening, this issue turns into an Ezra Orion origin story, and who knew that Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta could make us care so much about this character in such a short span of time. Orion ultimately is responsible for building the Tower at Armistice, all in an effort to gain acceptance from his whacked out surrogate mother. Dragotta’s wide-eyed visuals and imaginative creature-tech is one of the most refreshing art offerings this year. I remain a fan of the way Hickman seems to be so fascinated with the end of the world and all things post-apocalyptic. There’s also a running theme about faith that I find interesting, and the visual of a baby nursing on blood is a moment I probably won’t shake any time soon. It all got me thinking about the western/sci-fi mélange and how it’d be neat if Pretty Deadly was some kind of perverse prequel to East of West, chronicling the Western elements pre-apocalypse, and then East of West picks up post-apoc with the incident at Armistice. Grade A.

Alex + Ada #1 (Image): If you were running down a checklist of how to make a solid comic, Jonathan Luna would tick off most of the boxes in this introductory issue, yet it didn’t really work for me, as the sum of the parts never seemed to add up to anything more grand. I liked how Luna took his time establishing the environment and created a sort of slow burn characterization amid a PKD infused world. His art has that fine line wispiness to it that does indeed capture the clean futurism required of such a title. The dialogue was nice. Yet, by the end, the telegraphed denouement does nothing to hook the reader or offer any incentive to return. It seems like a harmless book, so, uhh, yeah, let me know how it goes if you decide to keep reading. Grade B.