Buffy Season Eight continues. Wolves at the Gate one had an interesting idea: vampires in Japan have taken Dracula's powers and use them to steal the Slayer scythe. Interesting, but it didn't really live up to the potential. The bits with Xander and Dracula were awesome but the bits with Buffy "experimenting" felt out of place. I could have done with more of one and less of the other. The one story that Josh Wheadon contributed was the way I expected Buffy to handle situation.
I'll give it a 3.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Batman: Dark Victory
I have a confession to make. While I love Batman, I may just like Robin more. I blame Superfriends. Or maybe the 1960s Batman that I happily watched in reruns on Sunday mornings. In Superfriends, raised himself above the level of "sidekick" and became a full-fledged member of the team. In Batman, (watch it and tell me I'm wrong) whenever there was a riddle to solve, Robin would solve it. Sure, Batman always replied, "Precisely, chum!" but I got the feeling he was covering.
Anyway, so when I saw the cover of Dark Victory I was pleased to see it would include the origin of Robin. It's a bit more than that though. It's the story of Batman pulling away and then being pulled back. It's the story of the freaks of Gotham getting rid of the mobsters (something that Batman, Gordon and Dent had been unable to do) and it's the story of Two-Face. In a lot of ways it's the direct sequel to The Long Halloween.
Oh, and Robin is the one to solve the puzzle. I'm giving it a 5.
Anyway, so when I saw the cover of Dark Victory I was pleased to see it would include the origin of Robin. It's a bit more than that though. It's the story of Batman pulling away and then being pulled back. It's the story of the freaks of Gotham getting rid of the mobsters (something that Batman, Gordon and Dent had been unable to do) and it's the story of Two-Face. In a lot of ways it's the direct sequel to The Long Halloween.
Oh, and Robin is the one to solve the puzzle. I'm giving it a 5.
Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman and mobsters. There's something that goes together very well. Batman has a great Rogues' Gallery but he also has a great street level presence. In The Long Halloween Loeb and Sale let Batman be the detective that he is. The detective that often gets lost in the big picture of capes and heroics.
The freaks are still there. The Long Halloween is as much about mobsters and detecting as it is about Batman losing Harvey Dent and gaining Two-Face. The story is the thing that makes it work though. Dent, Batman and James Gordon have a relationship that starts as business and turns to friendship. The creation of Two-Face changes that relationship.
Again, the art is awesome. Sale's Catwoman / Selena Kyle is very sensuous. I'm not sure why Batman didn't realise that they were one in the same but I don't think he likes to think ill of his friends. Probably because he has so few. I think it's what led him to being wrong.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It's getting a 5.
The freaks are still there. The Long Halloween is as much about mobsters and detecting as it is about Batman losing Harvey Dent and gaining Two-Face. The story is the thing that makes it work though. Dent, Batman and James Gordon have a relationship that starts as business and turns to friendship. The creation of Two-Face changes that relationship.
Again, the art is awesome. Sale's Catwoman / Selena Kyle is very sensuous. I'm not sure why Batman didn't realise that they were one in the same but I don't think he likes to think ill of his friends. Probably because he has so few. I think it's what led him to being wrong.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It's getting a 5.
Haunted Knight
Batman is one of my favourite heroes. He's just out there with his wits and his training and his obsession with righting wrongs. In Haunted Knight Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale tell three stories of Halloween early in Batman's career.
The first is "Fears" and, appropriate for Halloween, the Scarecrow takes centre stage. It's more about what Batman gets out of being Batman though. What he has to give up and why it makes him very much like his father.
The second story is "Madness" and was my favourite of the trilogy. Loeb's Mad Hatter is truly mad and putting Gordon's niece Babs in danger really made it feel personal. Where "Fears" was about the loss of Thomas Wayne, "Madness" becomes about the loss of Martha Wayne. The final panel of the story has made it into my favourite moments of Batman. It shows him as the child that lost his parents and how that's hurt him as deeply as it has. The window with the single figure reading was very evocative.
Finally was "Ghosts" where Loeb tries to tell a Dickens' Christmas Story but with Bat-villains on Halloween. I didn't really like it. It was OK but still, after the first two it was a bit of a let down. Batman choosing to stay home for the evening to hand out candy to the children just seemed a bit forced. Plus, Wayne Manor is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere. There's not one kid who would be showing up on that doorstep.
I'd really like to praise Tim Sale's art. Batman is huge. Batman is a very real presence in these stories and it had to do with where Sale's chooses to put him in the scenes. He also remembers that Batman is a man and will do things like give him the 5 o'clock stubble to represent that he's been up all night and perhaps isn't as fresh as he was when he started.
This one gets a 4.
The first is "Fears" and, appropriate for Halloween, the Scarecrow takes centre stage. It's more about what Batman gets out of being Batman though. What he has to give up and why it makes him very much like his father.
The second story is "Madness" and was my favourite of the trilogy. Loeb's Mad Hatter is truly mad and putting Gordon's niece Babs in danger really made it feel personal. Where "Fears" was about the loss of Thomas Wayne, "Madness" becomes about the loss of Martha Wayne. The final panel of the story has made it into my favourite moments of Batman. It shows him as the child that lost his parents and how that's hurt him as deeply as it has. The window with the single figure reading was very evocative.
Finally was "Ghosts" where Loeb tries to tell a Dickens' Christmas Story but with Bat-villains on Halloween. I didn't really like it. It was OK but still, after the first two it was a bit of a let down. Batman choosing to stay home for the evening to hand out candy to the children just seemed a bit forced. Plus, Wayne Manor is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere. There's not one kid who would be showing up on that doorstep.
I'd really like to praise Tim Sale's art. Batman is huge. Batman is a very real presence in these stories and it had to do with where Sale's chooses to put him in the scenes. He also remembers that Batman is a man and will do things like give him the 5 o'clock stubble to represent that he's been up all night and perhaps isn't as fresh as he was when he started.
This one gets a 4.
Empowered Volume 4
In Empowered Volume 4 Adam Warren sets out to tell a story that's a little more mature than what he's done before. Emp is gaining confidence and it's making better stories than her costume being torn to rags and used to tie her up. Even things that happened earlier in the volume had bearing on what happened later. A story is emerging. I'm honestly surprised considered where the character has come from. I'll give it a 4.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Boys Volume 3: Good for the Soul
With Good for the Soul Garth Ennis fleshes out some of the supporting characters in The Boys. Of the team the Frenchman probably gets the best treatment but I'm very curious where he's taking Mother's Milk and the Female. Sometimes I find The Boys a little too explicit and there were a few points in the first arc that were a little much for me.
I did like Hughie's speech over the Blarney Cock and I liked the relationship between the Female and the Frenchman. I like how Hughie's relationship with Annie/Starbright is progressing and I can't wait to see his reaction when he finds out she's a cape.
In my opinion the second arc was the stronger of the two in the volume. I know that the Legend is obviously based on Stan Lee so when he tells Hughie the whole origin story of what's what in the world I don't know how much I believe. I know that Garth Ennis hates superheroes so it's probably closer to the truth than not. I'll give this volume a 4.
I did like Hughie's speech over the Blarney Cock and I liked the relationship between the Female and the Frenchman. I like how Hughie's relationship with Annie/Starbright is progressing and I can't wait to see his reaction when he finds out she's a cape.
In my opinion the second arc was the stronger of the two in the volume. I know that the Legend is obviously based on Stan Lee so when he tells Hughie the whole origin story of what's what in the world I don't know how much I believe. I know that Garth Ennis hates superheroes so it's probably closer to the truth than not. I'll give this volume a 4.
Hellsing Volume 9
Still in the middle of a fight scene. The art in Hellsing is, of course, stunning but this fight for London has been going on for a while now. I've sort of lost track of who's fighting whom and why. I'm going to miss Walter though.
I thought the scene where Integra had already happened. She'd already commanded Alucard to do whatever it took to defeat the Zombie Nazi menace so I was a little confused that it happened again.
Now that all the normal soldiers have been killed, and we're starting to work on the super soldiers, I'm hoping that London will be either won or lost soon. I liked the earlier stories from Hellsing better. Little bit of dialogue, little bit of awesome over-the-top action and on to a new story. I'm losing track here. It gets a 3.
I thought the scene where Integra had already happened. She'd already commanded Alucard to do whatever it took to defeat the Zombie Nazi menace so I was a little confused that it happened again.
Now that all the normal soldiers have been killed, and we're starting to work on the super soldiers, I'm hoping that London will be either won or lost soon. I liked the earlier stories from Hellsing better. Little bit of dialogue, little bit of awesome over-the-top action and on to a new story. I'm losing track here. It gets a 3.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Chibi Vampire Volume 11
Another strong outing for Yuna Kagesaki.
Volume 11 focuses on Anju and what it means to awaken as a vampire. I really connected with the youngest Maaka for the first time in this volume. I found it really interesting to see Karin transform from the one who needs protecting to the one doing the protecting. Her relationship with Kenta still seems to be going well and I think that's giving her more confidence in her own abilities. I'm curious to see how she'll react to being alone during the daylight.
Anju's blood preference for loneliness was an inspired choice. It gives some insight into what fuels the blood preferences of the other members of her family. I think this volume answered a lot of questions about how Kagesaki sees the vampire myths in her creation.
I'm going to give it a 5.
Volume 11 focuses on Anju and what it means to awaken as a vampire. I really connected with the youngest Maaka for the first time in this volume. I found it really interesting to see Karin transform from the one who needs protecting to the one doing the protecting. Her relationship with Kenta still seems to be going well and I think that's giving her more confidence in her own abilities. I'm curious to see how she'll react to being alone during the daylight.
Anju's blood preference for loneliness was an inspired choice. It gives some insight into what fuels the blood preferences of the other members of her family. I think this volume answered a lot of questions about how Kagesaki sees the vampire myths in her creation.
I'm going to give it a 5.
Chibi Vampire Volume 10
Wow! A lot more happened in this volume than I expected. In Volume 10 there was not the back step in Kenta and Karin's relationship that I was expecting, it moved forward! Karin's grandmother awakes again and this time nothing is hidden from her. The back story explains Elda too so even with the unresolved bit with Caldera it was a very satisfying read.
I'll give it a 4.
I'll give it a 4.
The Graveyard Book
I admit I'm a Neil Gaiman fan. I love the way he's able to use words that invoke. Not just tell a story, but invoke it. I was drawn into The Graveyard Book from the first sentence, "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." Adding in the illustration of just a pitch black page with the hand holding the knife immediately put me into the story.
The story is about Bod, who comes to the graveyard a baby and leaves a young man. Each chapter nearly stands alone as a short story where the conflict is appropriate to the age of the hero. I really enjoyed "The Witch's Headstone", "Danse Macabre" and "Nobody Owens' School Days" (although I do feel Bod learned the same "lesson" in both "The Witch's Headstone" and "Nobody Owens' School Days"). I liked how the ghosts had personalities in tune with the age in which they died and I liked how Gaiman lets his readers deduce what other horrors exist in the world without spelling it out. The hints are very broad, but they're still hints.
I got lost in The Graveyard Book. That's where I like to be when reading. The last chapter had me in tears from beginning to end because I, like Bod, wanted things to stay the same even when I knew they had to change.
I read Neil Gaiman's journal so it was interesting to see the book develop as he was writing it. He's said that Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was an inspiration for this work. I've not read it, and now I feel I should. All in all, I give this book a 5.
The story is about Bod, who comes to the graveyard a baby and leaves a young man. Each chapter nearly stands alone as a short story where the conflict is appropriate to the age of the hero. I really enjoyed "The Witch's Headstone", "Danse Macabre" and "Nobody Owens' School Days" (although I do feel Bod learned the same "lesson" in both "The Witch's Headstone" and "Nobody Owens' School Days"). I liked how the ghosts had personalities in tune with the age in which they died and I liked how Gaiman lets his readers deduce what other horrors exist in the world without spelling it out. The hints are very broad, but they're still hints.
I got lost in The Graveyard Book. That's where I like to be when reading. The last chapter had me in tears from beginning to end because I, like Bod, wanted things to stay the same even when I knew they had to change.
I read Neil Gaiman's journal so it was interesting to see the book develop as he was writing it. He's said that Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was an inspiration for this work. I've not read it, and now I feel I should. All in all, I give this book a 5.
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