Oh goodie, something new and different for us.

No, I really don't get tired of quoting from 10 Things I Hate About You. And it's usually so applicable.

One of the best things about the summer is that AFI releases their new list in June. Now, I've come into knowledge of AFI fairly recently, so I have only gotten to see three of the lists on television, but all have been very fun and entertaining. Even the preparation for the lists is fun because I get to add a chunk to my spreadsheet, which I haven't really had a reason to do since last year's lists.

Anyways, this year is different because they've decided to redo the top films list instead of releasing a new one. So here are some of my hopes for this new list when it is released tomorrow night (8:00 PM).

1. That my percentage doesn't go down. I'm currently at 75%, and that had better not go down.
2. That Citizen Kane is no longer in the top spot.
3. That Gone with the Wind goes down and Star Wars goes up.
4. That one Lord of the Rings movie makes it on the list.

Something that actually is new are the graphic novels that I've picked up. I've been wanting to read V for Vendetta since the movie came out, and I've also been wanting to read Marvel 1602 since it came out. And since I've been enjoying the webcomics that I read, I decided it was time to check out the real thing.

Despite my extensive knowledge of superheroes, I have only read one comic before (and it was Marvel, not DC!). I decided to do a little bit of research before I bought any, and both 1602 and V are highly touted by critics and readers alike. But since both of those are graphic novels, meaning they are contained in one book, I also wanted to get something that was also released in comic form. So I did some research and found out that an up and coming favorite author of mine did a lot of comic work which has also been lauded by critics, so I decided to get the first book of his (where they combine like 10 or so of the comics into a single book) of Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

I blazed through 1602 (and gained a new appreciated for Marvel, which I'll talk about at a later date), and had to force myself to slow down and really enjoy the art (which is amazing). I'm having a bit more trouble with Sandman. Although I love the story, the art isn't really to my liking. It's a bit too gothic for my tastes. But I hear that Gaiman doesn't really find his voice until the second book, so I think I'll give it time. V is good, but since I already know the story, I don't feel the pressing need to find out what happens next, so I'm taking my time with it.

The funny thing is that only one of the three is about superheroes, and it's not even about my favorite ones. I think I'm either going to have to get some Superman books (I'm thinking about starting with The Death of Superman), or some Justice League ones. Maybe I'll do that after I finish with these three.