Hound of the Baskervilles

This novel was quite different from the other Sherlock Holmes novels I've read, and from the short stories.  Holmes was hardly in it.  He sent Watson to do all the investigating and showed up for the climax to tell Watson that he already knew what was going on.  Plus, he had the final pieces to solve the mystery.

Not that the reader could quite solve this one.  It hinged on a portrait that we couldn't see and wasn't described by Conan Doyle.  Some of the behaviour of the villain might have given it away but he was already pegged as an eccentric so it didn't seem that unusual for him.  I did know that the hound was not a demon, and whomever was using it to scare the Baskervilles was stealing boots to give it the scent.  However, I would not have guessed at the love triangle between Baskerville and the Stapletons.  Or that Lyons was in any way important to solving the mystery unless she out and out told them what she knew.

I felt that the subplot with the convict was an unnecessary distraction.  It felt like padding the word count to give Watson something to do while he waited for Holmes to arrive and solve everything.  It gave him an excuse to be out on the moor to see Holmes in shadow but again, I didn't feel it moved the plot along to have the poor man killed.

There's apparently some suggestion that since this was written after Holmes' apparent death in The Final Problem this story does not have the real Sherlock Holmes in it.  The theory attempts to explain why Watson takes a more prominent role in this novel than he has previously.  To me, it's obvious that it's an earlier adventure of Holmes.  He and Watson are still living together at Baker Street and there is no mention of Mrs. Watson or his flourishing private practice.  It seems more likely that Conan Doyle was simply trying something new.  It's documented that he was tired of writing stories of Sherlock Holmes and had intended the character to mock skeptics.  When it became popular he felt his hand was forced to continue.  Even after purposefully killing the character so he wouldn't have to write it anymore.

Batgirl: The Lesson

The last of the Stephanie Brown Batgirl before the new 52.  It's a shame that she hasn't reappeared in the new 52, this was such a fresh series.  It is just a fun read.  The one-shot story with Robin was very touching.  She knows what Damian is going through and she knows that he doesn't want her pity.  So what does she do?  Take him to a bouncy castle.

Brightest Day Volume 3

I came out of this volume with one thought.   The white lantern is a dick.  It brought heroes back to life just so it could kill them, it brought villains back to kill heroes and it used Deadman to make these things happen.  And then it gets to take time to tell Hawk why he failed in the mission to kill himself.  All in all it seemed a convuluted way to bring Swamp Thing back to the DC universe.

Bakuman Volume 1

This manga was recommended to me because I was reading some of the manga they talked about.  It's like a behind the scenes series where two high school students are trying to get their manga off the ground.  It's written by the team behind Death Note and mostly what this one does is make me want to read the other.  I like the art and the way it's written but I don't like some of the ideas that are presented.

Naruto Volume 43: The Man with the Truth

This volume was huge!  Double size almost.  I can see why it was done, there was no real spot to split the story into another volume and it does bring the whole arc with Sasuke and his brother to a close.  It was an amazing battle.  And, as always, Kishimoto lets his character shine through even when it's just a fight. 

I don't know how I feel about Sasuke switching his revenge to the whole Konoha village.  It's going to set up conflict between him and Naruto again.  Though, I suppose they might see eye to eye on it.  Both their lives have been affected by decisions the ruling council thought would save the village.

Naruto Volume 42: The Secret of the Mangekyo

So it's revealed that Jiraiya looks on Naruto like a grandfather because his name was taken from one of Jiraiya's books.  That's so sweet.  It made his death in this volume more poignant.  I was quite touched when I read it.

Black Butler Volume 7

This concludes the creepiness that has been this arc of Black Butler.  I was wondering why Ciel wasn't worried about his staff.  I thought he was just callous.  Apparently Finnie is some kind of mutant and his hat hides a number on the back of his head.  Mey Rin's short sightedness belies her extreme accuracy at distance and Mr. Tanaka is a silent killer.  Plus, the chef is American.  I thought there was something up with him.

However, with a little space to fill, Toboso also gives us the story of a new suit for Ciel.  Which includes a tailor that likes to feel up Mey Rin's breasts but is also attracted to Ciel's feminine form as he's still just a small boy.  Not what I was expecting.

Bleach Volume 37: Beauty is so Solitary

So I've been complaining that the story has focused more on the Soul Society of late than it has on Ichigo.  This volume finishes up the back story (which does answer a few questions and even got me interested for a moment) and then heads back to the present.

Yay!  Ichigo is on his way to rescue Orihime!  And she's being all brave waiting for him!  And he's getting help from his friends!  And then it's back to what the Soul Society is doing against Aizen.  Sigh.