Exercise in Microfiction

I emerged from my first bed, shed my last coat and spread my wings. It was the first real warmth I had felt; the earth had coated and sheltered me, but it was still cold among the twisted roots and blind moving threads of flesh. Standing amidst the tall shadows, I drank it in. And soon, I folded my dry wings, rasping together in my first experimental song.

Around me, my brothers did the same. I know, because my leg membranes ached with the force of the chorus.

We soon found our bearings, my brothers and I. We touched the souls drifting up from the fruits of the tall shadows. We fed on these fruits when we first saw her. She was silent, but not demure, never demure. She leapt with confidence and grace greater than any of the other silent ones.

Every night my brothers and I courted her, our song growing as the world grew warmer. She did not choose between us. (I try to believe that she would have chosen me.) She ignored us, as we ignored everything but the world's bounty and her.

And then, one warm night, the ghost leaper took her. It was a giant beast, with damp fungal breath, and a cry that shook us all.

Fools, we leapt after it, dropping our bounty, for what was it next to her?

One by one, it took them, grasping them with an impossibly long strand of sour honey. We are agile, but it is fast, this beast. Of my brothers, I alone was quickest, springing behind a boulder, and finding shelter beneath.

Here I cower, but the cloak of earth is no longer a comfort, for I feel the monster's baleful cry. I touch its soul. And I know that the nearest fruit is much too far, and my crop is empty. The beast can afford to wait. I cannot.

Comics on Six Legs

Yeah, it's the same old story. I haven't really blogged in months. I haven't had much to say.

But last week I read three comic books, and all three featured insects. Or insect-like creatures. Those almost always make me happy. (There are certain contexts in which certain larval forms are unwelcome, but we don't need to go there.)

The first, Marvel Adventures The Avengers #20, features a reasonably contented, self-assured, sane Ant-Man. Dr. Hank Pym, that is. He's happy to be working in his lab, but doesn't seem to mind the occasional stint as a super-hero. The story also features giant attack ants...

...and equally giant bugs from outer space. The aliens are hostile, but not very bright, flying right into Jan's trap like that.


Next we come to WWH Aftersmash: Warbound #2, which has a cumbersome title; more hostile, giant bugs (gamma-mutated this time). . .;

. . . and No-Name of the Brood, who saves human children and is just as likable as the other Warbound companions. Not all giant alien insectoid creatures are bad!


Finally, we come to The Stranded #1. There are no bugs with gland problems here, just humanoid telepathic sleeper aliens, one of whom is no longer technically a sleeper and can control insects with her mind. So we do get swarms of terrestrial attack bees. And explosions, but that comes a page or two later. I'm not too excited about The Stranded yet, but it does have its moments.


All in all, it was a small (but good) week. Never underestimate the power of insects!

Thoughts on 18 April, 2007

Only four titles this week, taking place in three universes.

Bizarre New World #1

-Cityscapes and landscapes, 'scapes with both land and city... They are all beautiful in this book.

-Something that is better than caffeine: The sudden manifestation of flight capabilities.

-Paul's visit with his son is heartwarming without being sappy, probably because it's also hilarious.

-Actually, the whole book is funny, in an honest, non-snarky way.

The Brave and the Bold #3

-Batman probably does have a Bat Snowblower back in the Batcave. Right next to the Bat Lawn Tractor and the Bat Weed Wacker.

-Acting to save Lobo's life isn't enough to buy his services. Wow. Now that's being a jerk.

Manhunter #30

-What can I say? Wanted to finish reading this arc, whether or not I read the next one. Also, the cover is sweet.

-Wonder Woman in a Hummer is a good example of good driving evil.

Mighty Avengers #2

-Why does Jan ever have dragonfly wings? I don't understand.


-Bizarre three-way battle. A villain who is sometimes kind of sympathetic versus a twisted villain who is never sympathetic versus a group of heroes who may all be insane... (Should I be rooting for Mole Man here?) Wow.