Category: Batman

Daily Journal: January 11, 2025

For the second day in a row, I have achieved my daily total of pages, I feat not that common in this year of reading. To put it mildly, consistency has not been the common denominator in the past few months, but thankfully, that’s beginning to be a thing of the past.

Today the main reason I could achieve this goal was a graphic from one of my favorite artists/characters combo. On this particular story the Scottish artist Jock takes Batman on a journey to reach Blackgate prison on thru the treacherous streets of Gotham, that not only are infested by a turf war between street gangs but also with the deadly villain EMP and the familiar Killer Croc, the behemoth adversary that roams the underground of the city, all of this while the lights of the city have gone out.

A bloody and almost broken Batman must fight for his survival one city block at a time. As always the fuzzy and dynamic penmanship of Jock fits perfectly with the dark persona of Gotham’s Dark Knight.

This new momentum has inspired me to create some new reading challenges to boost up my total numbers for the year. Of course, to spicy things up, I’m attaching a prize for myself when each of the mini challenges are achieved. I’ll start with the following four challenges, this until I scheme some new ones.

  • 10-day reading streak, at least 179 pages per day
  • 5-day gold reading streak, at 300 pages per day
  • 4 week reading streak, at least 1,253 pages per week
  • 100-day reading streak, at least 179 pages per day

This will help me get things back on track, and achieve another successful year. As you can see there’s a lot of reading to do, and with that in mind

Off to read

azriel

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The last leg of the Malazan journey

I tried really hard last night to finish Dust of Dreams, buy my old nemesis sleep got the best of me.

But one of the perks of having young children is that getting up late is rarely an option.

So around 6:45 a.m. with a cup of black coffee the size of a medium bucket, I started the final pages of the ninth volume, and for the looks of it, if anyone was left alive from the shit-storm from the last chapter, it will close out with a bang.

To finish off this massive series, I found that it was only fitting to read the last book in printed form, this particular book ( see the picture below) has been eagerly awaiting in my Bookshelf for about 10 years, it’s time has finally come.

To accompany this start of the final chapter, I’ll read in between session some new material from the Dark Knight, the newest issues of Death Metal, and the now classic Grant Morrison series of Batman & Robin.

Off to read.

azr.

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Solid effort

I am coming off a really good day of reading, 253 total pages.

I made some headway with Dust of Dreams, currently on page 642 of 816, hopefully, I’ll start with the tenth and final chapter of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Crippled God, by Monday at the latest, that would give me 55 days to finish it before the year of reading is over.

Also, I finished the amazing story of Gates of Gotham, and to be honest, being an architect, I’m a sucker for stories that focus on cities like characters, and the having a villain named The Architect, it just the cherry on top of the cake.

For today’s reading, I’ll start with the new series, at least in Mexico, of Dark Nights, Death Metal, as you can see I’m a sucker for anything and everything written by Scott Snyder.

The other comic book on deck for today is the next chapter of Jim Zub’s run with Conan the barbarian, I really liked the last story arc, so I’ll continue buying it in single issue format.

Busy, busy Thursday, if I’m not mistaken.

Off to read.

azr.

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The final stretch

Today is the deadline for my spring vacation break reading goal.

As you can remember, the goal was to finish three books I was reading, from which I have already finish A Tolkien Miscellany and Anerican Gods, the third one, Dust of Dreams, is showing some resistence.

Currently I am on page 568 of 816, that means 247 pages left to read, and according to the calculation of my Kindle, there’s a little under 10 hours left of reading.

It’s quite the task, I think I’ll just jump into it, armed with good lighting, snacks, and caffeine. Hopefully I’ll come out the other side victorious.

As always I’ll throw into the mix some time to read graphic novels, just finish the amazing work by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy, The Wake, the artwork remains me so much to the work of the legendary Mike Mignola, just feel in love with it.

To continue with the great imagination of Mr. Snyder ,in collaboration with Kyle Higgins, next up is the mini series Batman: Gates of Gotham, expanding on the first day of Gotham City.

Off to read.

azr.

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Balancing act, part four

I’m getting my groove back.

The passed few days I have read over 200 pages, and started with a good pace the eight volume of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Toll the Hounds, currently on page 71 of the whopping 1,270, still, finishing this epic series is priority one of my current year.

This reading boost it’s thanks to the enthralling manga series Berserk, I have devoured volumes 4 and 5 in record time.

And for today I have volume 6 lineup, to continue Guts journey in his adventures thru the ravaged landscape filled with war and it’s demons.

Also for today’s reading I’ll revisit Grant Morrison’s run of Batman & Robin, with the legendary artist Frank Quitely.

I am moving up slowly on my total reading for January, there’s still 4,158 pages to go, and on the bigger picture, I still have 137 days, and 25,075 pages to go.

For now, I am off to read.

azr.

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Balancing act, part three

Friday and saturday were a couple of slow days of reading.

I summed up only 133 pages, this leaves with 4,863 pages to read for the month of January, this over 15 days, quite the task.

For today, in between football snaps, for it’s the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs, I plan to continue on the 1,200 page journey of the next chapter of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Toll the Hounds.

In between the pages of this amazing series, I’ll continue my journey with Guts, in Berserk number 4

And the new series by Brian Michael Bendis of The Dark Knight, Batman Universe.

For now, I am off to read.

azr.

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Balancing act, part one

My weekend was a productive one, not gargantuan numbers, but fairly decent.

I’m at the cusp of finish Assassin Apprentice, currently on page 328, and still trying to find a printed copy of the second volume, in the mean time I have a backup plan to keep on reading.

The other thing I read this weekend was the second part of Tom King’s Batman: City of Bane, the threat is not always so clear, especially when the multiverse is involved, great read.

For today I plan to start the latest volume of Detective Comics, at least the most recent here in Mexico, written by the extraordinary Peter J. Tomasi.

Hopefully I’ll chip away some pages, for I still have 5,455 pages to go on January, and 26,372 pages to go for this year of reading.

For now, I am off to read.

azr.

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First Epic December report

A not so epic start to this merry December task.

I could read 73 pages, so that leaves me with 8,868 left, not the start I would like, but once I grab momentum this will flow better.

For today, my immediate goal is to finish the second volume of Peter David’s legendary run on Hulk, this, with the equally amazing Todd Mcfarlane, continue to read the next two issues of Batman: King of Fear, it’s always a delight to see Kelley Jones work on Batman.

And to top it off, the first issue of a pretty particular crossover Conan the Barbarian event, involving Moon Knight from Marvel Comics, and Solomon Kane, another of Robert E. Howard’s famous creations.

For now, I am off to read.

azr.

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An epic December

I have finally finished with my Masters program, on Monday, I presented my final dissertation, it was a positive result, and I have officially received a passing grade.

With that out of my mind I can now focused a bit more on reading, and on this blog.

I have the intention make this December an epic reading event.

To start, I am 27 days behind my reading schedule for this short year.

My current total is 4,022 pages, and there are still 187 days left of reading, in order to get back on schedule my total for December must be 8, 941 pages, a gargantuan task to say the least.

In order to make this happen, I’m planning to intensify my comic book intake, and on the week of Christmas, that’s from December 21 to December 27, I will be doing a readathon of my own creation, with new challenges and surprises each day.

To start off this month with a bang, I will rely on my old friend Batman.

See you tomorrow for my daily update of how those 8,000 pages are coming along.

For now, I am off to read.

azr.

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Numbers: 12 days

Yesterday was an amazing day of reading.

I finish the last issue of Batman: Curse of the White Knight, written and illustrated by Sean Murphy, these, with an epic showdown between Batman and Azrael.

Also, I read the first volume of Tom King’s Batman: City of Bane, and I am really eager to see the next chapter

My total was 207 of the 267 pages that was my goal.

There are still 3,264 pages in front of me, and my goal for today is 272 pages.

I’ll keep on pounding on Rise of the King, it’s always a treat reading stories of Drizzt Do’Urden, and I’ll read the latest installment of Hit Girl’s solo series, this time in Hollywood.

For now, I am off to read.

azr.

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